(Bloomberg)—Home lawmakers mentioned prime Amazon.com Inc. executives, together with former Chief Govt Officer Jeff Bezos, misled Congress about how the net retailer makes use of knowledge from third-party sellers.
Within the letter Monday to CEO Andy Jassy, the lawmakers—led by Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerrold Nadler, a New York Democrat, and Antitrust Subcommittee Chairman David Cicilline, a Rhode Island Democrat—cited “latest, credible reporting that immediately contradicts the sworn testimony and representations of Amazon’s prime executives” to the panel.
“In mild of the intense nature of this matter, we’re offering you with a ultimate alternative to supply exculpatory proof to corroborate the prior testimony and statements on behalf of Amazon to the committee,” the lawmakers wrote within the letter, dated Monday. “We strongly encourage you to utilize this chance to appropriate the report and supply the Committee with sworn, truthful, and correct responses to this request as we take into account whether or not a referral of this matter to the Division of Justice for prison investigation is acceptable.”
Amazon representatives, together with Bezos, have advised Congress that they’ve a coverage in opposition to utilizing particular person vendor knowledge to compete in opposition to these sellers or craft rival merchandise. However a collection of media accounts steered that Amazon staff have finished simply that, or not less than discovered workarounds that render the coverage ineffective.
Bezos, requested beneath oath final 12 months a few Wall Avenue Journal report that Amazon had usually used such knowledge in obvious violation of the coverage, mentioned he couldn’t assure that the rule had by no means been violated.
In a press release in response to the letter, Amazon spokeswoman Brooke Oberwetter the corporate investigates all such allegations and takes “applicable motion.”
“As well as, we design our search expertise to function the objects prospects will need to buy, no matter whether or not they’re supplied by Amazon or certainly one of our promoting companions,” she mentioned.
Feedback from Bezos and others run counter to latest information reviews, the lawmakers mentioned.
“At finest, this reporting confirms that Amazon’s representatives misled the Committee,” the lawmakers wrote. “At worst, it demonstrates that they might have lied to Congress in attainable violation of federal prison legislation.”
Colorado’s Ken Buck, the rating Republican on the Antitrust panel additionally signed the letter, together with Pramila Jayapal, a Washington Democrat, and Consultant Matt Gaetz, a Florida Republican. The lawmakers are demanding a response by Nov. 1.
Amazon is No. 1 within the 2021 Digital Commerce 360 Prime 1000.
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