Announced Action for April 20, 2001

Appointment of Molly S. Boast as Director of the Bureau of Competition

The Federal Trade Commission appointed Molly S. Boast as Director of the Bureau of Competition by a vote of 4-1, with Commissioner Orson Swindle dissenting. Ms. Boast held the position of Senior Deputy Director of the Bureau from July 1999 through January 2001 and has served as Acting Director since that time.

In his dissenting statement, Commissioner Swindle observed that, despite his deep admiration for Ms. Boast's legal and managerial abilities and her personal qualities, "this is an appointment that makes no sense from an institutional point of view," in light of both Ms. Boast's announced intention to leave the Commission soon and the next FTC Chairman's need to put his own senior staff in place immediately. "[E]ven if Chairman Pitofsky's appointment of Molly Boast as Bureau Director was not intended to frustrate a smooth transition at the FTC," said Commissioner Swindle, "it surely could have that result."

Copies of the full text of Commissioner Swindle's dissenting statement are available from the FTC's web site at http://www.ftc.gov and also from the FTC's Consumer Response Center, Room 130, 600 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20580; toll-free: 877-FTC-HELP (877-382-4357); TDD for the hearing impaired 1-866-653-4261. To find out the latest news as it is announced, call the FTC NewsPhone recording at 202-326-2710.

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