President-Elect Donald Trump said he has selected Andrew Ferguson to be the next Chair of the FTC. Ferguson is a current Republican member of the commission; he will not have to be confirmed by the Senate to become chair.
He will replace Democrat Lina Khan as FTC chair.
Trump also announced his intention to nominate Mark Meador as a member of the FTC. As a new nominee for the commission, Meador is subject to Senate confirmation.
Before being nominated for his commission seat, Ferguson served as Virginia Solicitor General from 2022 to 2024. Before that, he served as Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell’s chief counsel. He also was Chief Counsel for Nominations and the Constitution for then-Judiciary Committee Chairman Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C. He also served as Senior Special Counsel to then-Judiciary Chairman Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa.
In addition, Ferguson practiced antitrust law at several Washington, D.C. law firms, representing clients before the Justice Department and the FTC.
As chairman, Ferguson is likely to appoint new directors for FTC divisions, including those handling consumer protection issues.
Meador is a partner at Kressin Meador Powers LLC and previously served as the deputy chief counsel for antitrust for Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah. In addition, he has worked in the antitrust divisions of the F.T.C. and Department of Justice.
