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Joshua D. Wright

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Joshua D. Wright
Commissioner of the Federal Trade Commission
In office
January 2013 – August 2015
PresidentBarack Obama
Preceded byJ. Thomas Rosch
Succeeded byRohit Chopra
Personal details
Born (1977-01-20) January 20, 1977 (age 47)[1]
San Diego, California, U.S.[1]
Political partyRepublican[1]
EducationUniversity of California, San Diego (BA)
University of California, Los Angeles (JD, PhD)
AwardsBator Award (2014)

Joshua Daniel Wright (born January 20, 1977) is an American economist, attorney, and former government official. Wright served as a commissioner of the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) from 2013 to 2015. At the time of his nomination, Wright was the fourth economist to serve as an FTC commissioner.[2] Wright was a professor of law at George Mason University's Antonin Scalia Law School between 2004 and 2023, and was the executive director of its Global Antitrust Institute (GAI).[3][4] In 2023, Wright resigned from George Mason following eight allegations of sexual misconduct from former students.[5]

While on the FTC, Wright advocated a laissez-faire approach to antitrust enforcement.[6][7] After leaving the commission, the FTC inspector general found that Wright violated federal conflict of interest laws by representing Qualcomm and lobbying the FTC to drop a lawsuit it was pursuing against the company.[8][9] While working as a law professor, Wright led the Global Antitrust Institute, which received significant funding from companies including Google, Apple, and Meta Platforms.[10][11]The Wall Street Journal reported that Wright's clients ended their relationship with him in 2023 following a series of sexual misconduct allegations.[10]

As a scholar, Wright's work has focused on the fields of antitrust law, law and economics, and consumer protection. In 2013, Wright was described by the National Review to be "widely considered his generation's greatest mind on antitrust law."[12] He has published more than 100 articles and book chapters, co-authored a casebook, and edited several book volumes in these fields. Wright has served as co-editor of the Supreme Court Economic Review and senior editor of the Antitrust Law Journal,[13] and in 2014 received the Paul M. Bator Award.[14]

Early life and education

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Wright was born and raised in San Diego, California.[1][13] After graduating from Patrick Henry High School in 1995,[15] Wright studied economics at the University of California, San Diego, graduating in 1998 with a Bachelor of Arts, with honors. He then went to the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), where he jointly did doctoral study in economics and attended the UCLA School of Law. As a law student, Wright was a managing editor of the UCLA Law Review. He received a J.D. in 2002 and a Ph.D. in economics in 2003.[13]

Career

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Wright was a law clerk for Judge James V. Selna of the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California from 2003 to 2004. He then joined the faculty of the George Mason University Law School (now Antonin Scalia Law School).[13]

Federal Trade Commission (FTC)

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Wright served in the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) in the Bureau of Competition as its inaugural Scholar-in-Residence from 2007 to 2008, where he focused on enforcement matters and competition policy.[13]

In January 2013, President Barack Obama appointed Wright to serve as a commissioner of the FTC at the recommendation of Mitch McConnell.[16] At the time, his appointment was scrutinized because of a pending FTC case against Google. Wright's research had been indirectly funded by Google, and he previously criticized the FTC's probe into Google. He agreed to recuse himself on any FTC matters involving Google for two years.[16] He was ultimately unanimously confirmed by the U.S. Senate.[17]

During his FTC tenure, Wright prolifically sided against attempts to regulate Big Tech.[18] Wright resigned August 2015 to return to academia.[18]

Academic and consulting work

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As of October 2020, Wright's clientele as a consultant included Big Tech companies Google, Amazon, and Facebook, as well as Walmart, Qualcomm, and law firm Kirkland & Ellis. The Wall Street Journal reported that the companies dropped Wright as a client following allegations in 2023 that Wright engaged in affairs with law students.[19]

In 2020, The New York Times described the Global Antitrust Institute (GAI), which was led by Wright, as working on behalf of Big Tech companies looking to evade antitrust scrutiny. The article noted that the "institute’s leaders, including Joshua Wright, who has longstanding ties to Google, have worked closely with tech companies to fend off antitrust criticism".[20]

In 2023, Wright was given a six-month contract with Google worth $430,000 to oppose efforts by the Biden administration and congressional lawmakers to remove YouTube and other tech platforms' liability protections. Wright was contracted to publish opinion articles and academic works in opposition to removing liability protections..[21]

Other activities

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Following the 2016 presidential election, Wright was appointed to serve on Donald Trump's presidential transition team, where he oversaw matters pertaining to the FTC. He was considered for the position of United States Assistant Attorney General for the Department of Justice Antitrust Division.[7]

Conflict-of-interest accusations

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Qualcomm controversy

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In June 2024, The Wall Street Journal reported that the office of the inspector general of the FTC had opened an investigation in 2017 into whether Wright had violated a federal conflict-of-interest law by representing Qualcomm and lobbying the FTC to drop a lawsuit it was then pursuing against Qualcomm, with the FTC inspector general's office concluding that Wright had violated federal law and recommending that he be prosecuted, although the Department of Justice declined to pursue the case.[22]

Academic conflict of interest concerns

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The Wall Street Journal reported that, as an academic, "Wright used research papers, blogs and his legal expertise to defend U.S. tech corporations from federal antitrust regulators". The report noted that, during his time as head of the Global Antitrust Institute (GAI), the institute received a $1 million from both Google and Amazon, with Qualcomm donating $2.9 million and Facebook (now Meta Platforms) donating $675,000.[23]

As a result of the use of funds for hosting officials at vacation destinations, several members of the George Mason faculty expressed concerns that the companies' donations were a means of unlawfully lobbying foreign government officials. Such a practice would be in violation of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA). Additionally, several faculty members believed that university administrators violated the school's gift-acceptance policy by failing to review corporate donations for potential conflicts of interest.[23]

Allegations of sexual harassment

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Wright resigned from his position at law school in August 2023 after eight women accused him of sexual misconduct.[24] He faced allegations that abused his position as a professor and manager to pressure current and former students and employees into sexual relationships.[25][26][27] The Wall Street Journal reported that Wright's affairs with his students began as early as 2006.[28]

Wright began directing faculty hiring for the law school at George Mason in 2015. Bloomberg News reported that Wright's accusers alleged that he "used his positions and influence to proposition female students, staffers and job applicants," with several accusers stating that they feared professional retaliation if they didn't comply.[24] Wright also worked as an attorney at Wilson Sonsini, between 2016 and 2019, where he left amid a 2019 investigation into a sexual relationship with a subordinate woman.[24]

Two former students of Wright's, Elyse Dorsey and Angela Landry, accused Wright of trying to silence them and stated that he pressured them into sexual relationships during their time as students and after graduating.[24] In 2021, Wright arranged for Dorsey to have an economics fellowship at the University of Virginia with living expenses and tuition funded by Google, Amazon, and Facebook. Dorsey stated in her Title IX complaint that she believed Wright blocked promised funding for the program in retaliation after their relationship ended.[29]

Wright denied coercion and said that the relationships were consensual and sued two of the women for defamation.[24][30] Google terminated its relationship with Wright as a consultant after allegations publicly surfaced in 2023.[24]

Response from companies

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The Wall Street Journal reported that, for a year after being informed of sexual misconduct allegations facing Wright by a university investigator in 2022, Google and Meta continued to contract Wright as a consultant for the companies.[29]

Wright continued to have a professional relationship with Wilson Sonsini after leaving the firm following the investigation. Susan Creighton, who led the firm's office in Washington, D.C., urged Wright to continue working for the firm on Google's behalf, suggesting in an email that he "continue to bill through the firm, effectively as an ‘expert,’ and keep 100% of the revenues".[28]

Title IX suit and defamation lawsuit against accusers

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Wright filed a $108 million defamation lawsuit against two of his accusers in August 2023.[29] Owing to lost income, Wright urged the court to relieve him from his requirement to pay $35,000 in monthly spousal and child support payments. Wright's wife filed a legal response arguing that Wright was at fault for the loss of income stemming from his former clients terminating their relationship with him.[29] The defamation lawsuits were dismissed without prejudice on December 1, 2023. However, the judge in the case allowed the lawsuit to proceed to trial after Wright amended the initial suit.[31]

In December 2023, Wright filed a Title IX lawsuit against George Mason University.[32] In the lawsuit, Wright claims that GMU engaged in sex discrimination against him, alleging that university leadership prematurely stood with his accusers because they are women.[33]

Personal life and recognition

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Wright lived in McLean, Virginia with his wife and three children.[34] As of 2023, Wright is currently in a relationship with a former student who was an intern for him during his FTC tenure.[35]

Work and recognition

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In 2013, Wright was praised by the National Review for his expertise on antitrust matters, and was described as being "widely considered his generation's greatest mind on antitrust law."[12] In 2014, Wright received the Paul M. Bator Award by the Federalist Society at the society's 33rd annual symposium.[14] As an academic, Wright published over one hundred articles and book chapters.[36]

He was also co-editor of the Supreme Court Economic Review, a journal that applied scholarship to assess decisions by the United States Supreme Court. He was also senior editor of the Antitrust Law Journal, an academic journal published by the American Bar Association Antitrust Law Section[13]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b c d Wright Testimony
  2. ^ "Josh Wright to be nominated to be next FTC Commissioner". Truth on the Market. 2012-09-10. Retrieved 2021-09-27.
  3. ^ "Joshua D. Wright". George Mason University Antonin Scalia Law School. Retrieved 2018-06-18.
  4. ^ Public domain material from "Joshua D. Wright", a Federal Trade Commission webpage (accessed February 23, 2013).
  5. ^ Nylen, Leah; Bloomberg (28 August 2023). "High-powered attorney who become a top federal regulator 'preyed on' students and colleagues over nearly 2 decades, women allege". Fortune. Archived from the original on 2024-03-13. Retrieved 30 August 2023.
  6. ^ Nylen, Leah; Bloomberg (28 August 2023). "High-powered attorney who become a top federal regulator 'preyed on' students and colleagues over nearly 2 decades, women allege". Fortune. Archived from the original on 2024-03-13. Retrieved 30 August 2023.
  7. ^ a b McLaughlin, David; Jacobs, Jennifer (2017-01-19). "Wright Under Consideration as Trump's Antitrust Chief, Source Says". Bloomberg. Retrieved 2024-06-17.
  8. ^ Mullins, Brody (2024-06-06). "The Hidden Life of Google's Secret Weapon". MSN. The Wall Street Journal. Archived from the original on 2024-06-09. Retrieved 2024-06-10.
  9. ^ Mullins, Brody (2024-06-06). "The Hidden Life of Google's Secret Weapon". The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved 2024-06-10.
  10. ^ a b Mullins, Brody (2014-06-08). "For Years, an Esteemed Law Professor Seduced Students. Was He Too Important to Fire?". The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved 2024-06-12.
  11. ^ Wakabayashi, Daisuke (2020-07-24). "Big Tech Funds a Think Tank Pushing for Fewer Rules. For Big Tech". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2024-06-12. The emails illustrated how the institute's leaders, including Joshua Wright, who has longstanding ties to Google, have worked closely with tech companies to fend off antitrust criticism.
  12. ^ a b Foster, Daniel (23 May 2013). "Agent McConnell". National Review. Retrieved 8 July 2020. On the Federal Trade Commission, McConnell handed Obama the name of Josh Wright, a holder of both a Ph.D. in economics and a J.D. and widely considered his generation's greatest mind on antitrust law.
  13. ^ a b c d e f Public domain material from "Joshua D. Wright", a Federal Trade Commission webpage (accessed February 23, 2013).
  14. ^ a b "Federalist Society Presents 2014 Bator Award". The Federalist Society. Retrieved 9 July 2020.
  15. ^ Joshua D. Wright CV
  16. ^ a b Romm, Tony; Wasserman, Elizabeth (3 December 2012). "FTC nominee to skip Google cases". Politico. Archived from the original on 2024-01-09. Retrieved 13 September 2023.
  17. ^ "FTC's newest commissioner sworn in - FTCWatch". FTCWatch. 2013-01-31. Retrieved 2024-06-17.
  18. ^ a b Nylen, Leah; Bloomberg (28 August 2023). "High-powered attorney who become a top federal regulator 'preyed on' students and colleagues over nearly 2 decades, women allege". Fortune. Archived from the original on 2024-03-13. Retrieved 30 August 2023.
  19. ^ Mullins, Brody (2014-06-08). "For Years, an Esteemed Law Professor Seduced Students. Was He Too Important to Fire?". The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved 2024-06-12.
  20. ^ Wakabayashi, Daisuke (2020-07-24). "Big Tech Funds a Think Tank Pushing for Fewer Rules. For Big Tech". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2024-06-12. The emails illustrated how the institute's leaders, including Joshua Wright, who has longstanding ties to Google, have worked closely with tech companies to fend off antitrust criticism.
  21. ^ Mullins, Brody (2024-06-09). "Hubris, Revenge and a Breakup Brought Down Big Tech's Proudest Ally". The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved 2024-06-12.
  22. ^ Mullins, Brody (2024-06-06). "The Hidden Life of Google's Secret Weapon". MSN. The Wall Street Journal. Archived from the original on 2024-06-09. Retrieved 2024-06-10.
  23. ^ a b Mullins, Brody (2014-06-08). "For Years, an Esteemed Law Professor Seduced Students. Was He Too Important to Fire?". The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved 2024-06-12.
  24. ^ a b c d e f Nylen, Leah; Bloomberg (28 August 2023). "High-powered attorney who become a top federal regulator 'preyed on' students and colleagues over nearly 2 decades, women allege". Fortune. Archived from the original on 2024-03-13. Retrieved 30 August 2023.
  25. ^ Remaly, Ben; Langlois, Anna (2023-08-16). "George Mason tight-lipped amid Wright sexual misconduct allegations". Global Competition Review. Archived from the original on 2023-12-02. Retrieved 17 August 2023.
  26. ^ Coe, Aebra (2023-08-13). "'I Suffered Silently': Ex-Law Prof Allegedly Preyed On Students". Law360. Archived from the original on 2024-06-04. Retrieved 17 August 2023.
  27. ^ Charnosky, Christine (2023-08-17). "Former GMU Law Professor Accused of Sexual Misconduct". Law.com. Archived from the original on 2023-08-17. Retrieved 17 August 2023.
  28. ^ a b Mullins, Brody (2014-06-08). "For Years, an Esteemed Law Professor Seduced Students. Was He Too Important to Fire?". The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved 2024-06-12.
  29. ^ a b c d Mullins, Brody (2024-06-09). "Hubris, Revenge and a Breakup Brought Down Big Tech's Proudest Ally". The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved 2024-06-12.
  30. ^ Papscun, Dan (2023-08-25). "Ex-FTC Official Accused of Sexual Misconduct Sues for Defamation". Bloomberg Law. Retrieved 2023-08-28.
  31. ^ Charmosky, Christine (2024-06-12). "Joshua Wright's $108M Defamation Case Against Former Students to Proceed to Trial". Law.com. Retrieved 2024-06-12.
  32. ^ Charnosky, Christine (2023-12-05). "Joshua Wright Sues GMU for Alleged Title IX Violations, but Has $108M Defamation Suit Against Accusers Tossed". Law.com. Archived from the original on 2024-03-01. Retrieved 6 December 2023.
  33. ^ Manta, Irina (2024-06-10). ""Strangers on the Internet" Podcast Ep. 62: Dilan Esper Follow-up on Joshua Wright's Lawsuits". Reason.com. Retrieved 2024-06-12.
  34. ^ Mullins, Brody (2014-06-08). "For Years, an Esteemed Law Professor Seduced Students. Was He Too Important to Fire?". The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved 2024-06-12.
  35. ^ Nylen, Leah; Bloomberg (28 August 2023). "High-powered attorney who become a top federal regulator 'preyed on' students and colleagues over nearly 2 decades, women allege". Fortune. Archived from the original on 2024-03-13. Retrieved 30 August 2023.
  36. ^ "Hon. Joshua D. Wright". The Federalist Society. Retrieved 2024-06-17.
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