Amazon may face criminal liability for lying to Congress, House lawmakers allege
CNN
House lawmakers who spent much of 2019 and 2020 probing Amazon for possible antitrust violations now accuse the tech giant of lying to Congress and want the Justice Department to investigate "potentially criminal conduct" from the company and some of its executives.
In a letter to Attorney General Merrick Garland dated March 9, members of the House Judiciary Committee say "Amazon lied through a senior executive's sworn testimony" about how the company had used the data it collects from third-party sellers. The lawmakers further allege the company "engaged in a pattern and practice of misleading conduct," which may have been an attempt "to influence, obstruct, or impede" the House committee's investigation.
The letter threatens to focus even greater scrutiny on Amazon (AMZN) as it seeks antitrust approval for its acquisition of MGM, and as lawmakers continue to weigh a raft of bills targeting competition in digital markets. And it suggests Amazon may face more legal troubles ahead beyond those directly related to its business practices.
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