Amazon, the global e-commerce behemoth founded by tech billionaire Jeff Bezos, is facing fire from multiple fronts. All of these have to do with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and its connections to the Trump administration. The company’s recent activities, including significant donations and business dealings with the Trump family, have raised questions about corporate influence and regulatory oversight.
In perhaps one of the earliest signs of this cozy relationship, Amazon contributed $1 million to then President Trump’s inaugural fund. Under the radar, Amazon’s streaming division allegedly shelled out millions to secure the rights to a documentary on First Lady Melania Trump. These actions have sparked concerns about Amazon’s attempts to gain favor with the administration, especially given its ongoing legal battles with the FTC.
The FTC has alleged that Amazon misled consumers by overriding parental controls and retaining children’s voice data indefinitely. They further allege that Amazon bullies small businesses into predatory pricing practices. These complaints form just one piece of a larger, very closely observed set of cases against Amazon that have become a litmus test for industry watchdogs. Alvaro Bedoya, former FTC commissioner, was central to leading one of these cases before his sudden firing.
Bedoya Opposing the continued influence of corporate money in government— heavyweights, like Bedoya have been clear about this.
“This is about the rule of law versus the rule of billionaires.” – Alvaro Bedoya
His firing from the FTC happened at the same time as his disruptions to Amazon’s safety standards and complaints about the company’s dangerous working conditions. Bedoya reiterated that injury rates in Amazon warehouses are through the roof. He panned the company for bringing in vending machines that distribute painkillers for its employees.
“I think it’s remarkable that one of the last public statements I made before the president tried to fire me was denouncing the high injury rates and the working conditions at Amazon warehouse floors, such that the company literally has to position vending machines on its warehouse floors that dispense painkillers.” – Alvaro Bedoya
In the face of these controversies, Amazon has publicly stood by its practices. The company claims that parents can “easily delete individual child voice recordings and transcripts” through an app linked to its Alexa voice assistant. An Amazon spokesperson stated that the company’s injury rates have declined since 2019 and dismissed Bedoya’s claims as “inaccurate and misleading.”
“Like any responsible employer, we make basic first aid items like over-the-counter pain relievers available to employees.” – Amazon spokesperson
Granted, Amazon’s founder, Jeff Bezos, has a well-documented history of being one of Donald Trump’s chief antagonists. This too has stoked more speculation about Amazon’s influence on regulatory commission. Bezos’s donations to the Republican establishment and business relations with the Trump family raise questions about possible corruption, Bedoya stated.
“When you see a company with a safety track record like Amazon’s, then you see the donations from Mr. Bezos and the deals that are being cut between the first family and Mr. Bezos’s company, and then you see that the person nominated to head up the Occupational Safety and Health Administration is none other than an Amazon safety executive … it would be foolish to not worry about the possibility of corruption and the possibility of corporate pardon.” – Alvaro Bedoya
In response, the White House has continually sought to defend President Trump’s indecisiveness on personnel moves in the executive branch.
“President Trump has the lawful authority to manage personnel within the executive branch. President Trump will continue to rid the federal government of bad actors unaligned with his common sense agenda the American people decisively voted for.” – Taylor Rogers, White House assistant press secretary