Amazon Accused of Lying to Congress

Five members of the U.S. House Judiciary Committee accused top Amazon executives of lying about the company's business practices.

learn more about Entrepreneur Staff

By Entrepreneur Staff

Bloomberg | Getty Images

Five members of the U.S. House Judiciary Committee accused top Amazon executives of misleading or lying to Congress about the company's business practices.

Reps. Jerrold Nadler, David Cicilline, Ken Buck, Pramila Jayapal and Matt Gaetz sent a letter to CEO Andy Jassy on Sunday, making the accusation and noting that the committee is considering "whether a referral of this matter to the Department of Justice for criminal investigation is appropriate."

The letter came after a separate Reuters investigation from last week which revealed Amazon had conducted a systemic campaign of copying products and rigging search results in India in an effort to boost its own brands.

Amazon denied doing so.

The report's "credible reporting," according to the letter reviewed by Reuters, "directly contradicts the sworn testimony and representations of Amazon's top executives -- including former CEO Jeffrey Bezos."

They wrote, "At best, this reporting confirms that Amazon's representatives misled the Committee. At worst, it demonstrates that they may have lied to Congress in possible violation of federal criminal law."

The group of five lawmakers, which is bipartisan, provided Jassy "with a final opportunity to provide exculpatory evidence to corroborate the prior testimony and statements on behalf of Amazon to the Committee."

An Amazon spokesperson told Reuters, "Amazon and its executives did not mislead the committee, and we have denied and sought to correct the record on the inaccurate media articles in question."

Entrepreneur Staff

Entrepreneur Staff

Editor

Related Topics

Editor's Pick

Everyone Wants to Get Close to Their Favorite Artist. Here's the Technology Making It a Reality — But Better.
The Highest-Paid, Highest-Profile People in Every Field Know This Communication Strategy
After Early Rejection From Publishers, This Author Self-Published Her Book and Sold More Than 500,000 Copies. Here's How She Did It.
Having Trouble Speaking Up in Meetings? Try This Strategy.
He Names Brands for Amazon, Meta and Forever 21, and Says This Is the Big Blank Space in the Naming Game
Business News

These Are the Most and Least Affordable Places to Retire in The U.S.

The Northeast and West Coast are the least affordable, while areas in the Mountain State region tend to be ideal for retirees on a budget.

Business News

I Live on a Cruise Ship for Half of the Year. Look Inside My 336-Square-Foot Cabin with Wraparound Balcony.

I live on a cruise ship with my husband, who works on it, for six months out of the year. Life at "home" can be tight. Here's what it's really like living on a cruise ship.

Business Ideas

55 Small Business Ideas To Start Right Now

To start one of these home-based businesses, you don't need a lot of funding -- just energy, passion and the drive to succeed.

Business Solutions

Master Coding for Less Than $2 a Course with This Jam-Packed Bundle

Make coding understandable with this beginner-friendly coding bundle, now just $19.99.

Business News

The 'Airbnbust' Proves the Wild West Days of Online Vacation Rentals Are Over

Airbnb recently reported that 2022 was its first profitable year ever. But the deluge of new listings foreshadowed an inevitable correction.

Starting a Business

Ask Marc | Free Business Advice Session with the Co-Founder of Netflix

Get free business advice during our next Ask Marc, live Q&A, on 3/28/23 at 3 p.m. EDT. You don't want to miss it—send in your questions now.