The Federal Commerce Fee requested a federal court docket in Seattle to delay a September trial in its case alleging Amazon misled shoppers over its Prime subscription service, citing “severe resource shortfalls in terms of both money and personnel,” on Wednesday.
Jonathan Cohen, an legal professional for the FTC, instructed US District Choose John Chun throughout a listening to that the company is dealing with a “dire resource situation” amid price slicing measures enacted below President Donald Trump’s administration.
“We have lost employees in the agency, in our division and on our case team,” Cohen mentioned.
Some staff on the case took a resignation supply despatched out in January, and others resigned for different causes, or are scheduled to be on depart throughout the trial, and their positions can’t be stuffed on account of a hiring freeze, Cohen mentioned.
Cohen additionally cited new spending restrictions limiting FTC attorneys to buying transcripts of court docket proceedings and depositions on the slowest supply schedule, which carries the most cost effective price however can take weeks to reach.
The decide requested the FTC to place in writing its request to delay the trial to later within the fall.
