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.

By Emily Rella

Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

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."

Emily Rella

Senior News Writer

Emily Rella is a Senior News Writer at Entrepreneur.com. Previously, she was an editor at Verizon Media. Her coverage spans features, business, lifestyle, tech, entertainment, and lifestyle. She is a 2015 graduate of Boston College and a Ridgefield, CT native. Find her on Twitter at @EmilyKRella.

Want to be an Entrepreneur Leadership Network contributor? Apply now to join.

Buying / Investing in Business

Former Zillow Execs Target $1.3T Market

Co-ownership is creating big opportunities for entrepreneurs.

Business Ideas

70 Small Business Ideas to Start in 2025

We put together a list of the best, most profitable small business ideas for entrepreneurs to pursue in 2025.

Franchise

The Hottest Industries Today

Our list of the franchises best positioned for growth, even in uncertain times.

Marketing

How to Get Your First 1,000 Email Subscribers (The Smart Way)

Here's a step-by-step system for startup founders to build their first 1,000 engaged email subscribers — without guesswork or gimmicks.

Starting a Business

Entrepreneur+ Subscriber-Only Event | May 28: How This Founder Sold 3 Million Units of His Toy Ball Idea

Subscribe to Entrepreneur+ for just $5! Get access to all member benefits, including our next Subscriber-Only Event with Joe Burke, Founder of Ollyball.