Attorney General Raoul Leads Coalition Supporting Challenge To Illegal Firing Of FTC Commissioner

CHICAGO – Attorney General Kwame Raoul co-led a coalition of 23 attorneys general in filing an amicus brief with the U.S. Supreme Court in support of a Federal Trade Commission (FTC) commissioner who is challenging President Trump’s illegal attempt to fire her without cause.

For more than 100 years, the FTC has played an important role in protecting Americans against scams and fraud, recovering billions of dollars for consumers harmed by unfair and deceptive practices. The agency has also been at the center of important antitrust cases that protect consumers from anticompetitive practices, many of which involved close partnerships with the states, such as the recent lawsuit – filed by Illinois, among other states – to stop the merger between Kroger and Albertsons. A court granted a preliminary injunction, halting the merger.

“My office frequently and successfully partners with the FTC to take actions that protect consumers,” Raoul said. “The bipartisan makeup of the FTC ensures that the commission serves all consumers, in Illinois and across the nation. I join my fellow attorneys general in support of the FTC’s current structure and its record of ensuring a safe and fair marketplace for law-abiding businesses and customers.”

That strong track record, Raoul and the attorneys general argue in their brief, is due in large part to the bipartisan structure of the agency’s leadership, which fosters well-reasoned decision making and provides expertise that many state attorneys general rely on to do their work. In their brief, the attorneys general ask the court to uphold a lower court ruling that ordered the administration to reinstate the commissioner. Raoul and the coalition argue that permitting President Trump to remove the commissioners would destroy the FTC’s role as an expert and bipartisan agency.

Illinois has partnered with the FTC and other states on multiple issues, such as recently filing a lawsuit against Live Nation Entertainment Inc. (Live Nation), and its wholly-owned subsidiary, Ticketmaster LLC (Ticketmaster), over the company’s deceptive marketing practices and unlawful coordination with ticket brokers that drives up prices for tickets in resale markets.

Raoul also partnered with the FTC to file a lawsuit against Deere and Company, arguing the agricultural equipment manufacturer’s unfair practices have driven up equipment repair costs for farmers while also depriving farmers of the ability to make timely repairs on critical farming equipment, including tractors. Additionally, in December 2024, Raoul and the FTC announced a $25 million settlement agreement with Grubhub Inc. over its alleged deceptive business practices that harmed customers, delivery drivers and restaurants. Also in December 2024, Raoul and the FTC announced a $20 million proposed settlement agreement with Leader Automotive Group (Leader) and its parent company, AutoCanada, to resolve allegations Leader defrauded consumers trying to buy vehicles.

Attorney General Raoul co-led the coalition along with the attorneys general of Colorado, Minnesota and Washington.

Joining them in filing the brief are the attorneys general of Arizona, California, Connecticut, Delaware, the District of Columbia, Hawaii, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont and Wisconsin.

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