Did Amazon violate federal laws? Lawmakers ask for DOJ probe
By MARCY GORDON
AP Business Writer
WASHINGTON (AP) — Lawmakers have made good on their threat to seek a criminal investigation of Amazon, asking the Justice Department to investigate whether Amazon and its senior executives obstructed Congress or violated other laws in testimony on its competition practices. The bipartisan battle against the world’s biggest online retailer by the House Judiciary Committee escalated with the letter Wednesday to Attorney General Merrick Garland referring the case for a criminal inquiry. Amazon has engaged in misleading conduct that appeared designed to “influence, obstruct or impede” the antitrust subcommittee’s 2019-20 investigation into the market dominance of Big Tech, the letter says.