Leadership is the key to President Trump following through on his campaign promises, putting quality people in all the key places. Chairman of the Federal Trade Commission is one of the biggest as trade is the lifeblood of America.
Who is Sean Reyes and why would he be an excellent choice for FTC Chair?
Sean Reyes is the Utah Attorney General. He is nothing short of a solid conservative who is a battle tested rising star Republican. He graduated Suma Cum Laude from BYU in 1994, got his law degree with honors from Berkeley in 1997, and practiced 14 years at Parsons, Behle, & Latimer where he was one of the first minorities to make partner. Outside of the office, he is a renaissance man who likes spending time with his wife and children, cooking, shooting guns, and watching mixed martial arts.
Reyes rose to his position as Utah’s AG as his predecessor went down in the flames of corruption. According to the Salt Lake City Tribune, the former AG John Swallow, “resigned amid a political scandal that alleged bribery and corruption inside his office. The scandal was exposed in part after Utah businessman Jeremy Johnson, who had close ties to Swallow and his immediate predecessor, former three-term Utah Attorney General Mark Shurtleff, was slapped with federal criminal charges that grew out of the FTC's investigation into his online-marketing company's business practices.”
The Utah Attorney General’s office was handed to Sean Reyes branded with a scarlet letter and he is widely accepted as the man who has turned it around. Through courage of conviction and strong ethics, Reyes has garnered a record of achievement that is second to none.
The FTC’s mission is to come against deceptive or unfair business practices and protect consumers by informing the public of choice and competitive processes without legislatively burdening the businesses of America. Basically, keep an eye out for corruption in its every form.
Draining the swamp means starting over at the top. Sean Reyes knows how to clean house. In Utah, he required the entire leadership team to resign and reapply for their jobs to be sure they were the best fit and qualified based on merit, not their friends in high places. Reyes went even further by not shying away from the big fights. He was active in suits against the Obama administration in several cases impacting Utah.
Trump needs to rip the Band-Aid off quickly. New leadership is desperately needed at the FTC and the current leader will simply be more of the same. The Commission is shorthanded with only two active members. The Trump administration needs to get this ball rolling by loading up the commission with quality business minded people. Time is of essence after years of neglect from the last administration.
A man like Sean Reyes would be a breath of fresh air at the FTC, however, some of the big-boys of business are a little nervous about Reyes getting the reigns at the FTC. Why would some Titans of Industry be sweating a Chairman Reyes?
Because he doesn’t play ball. He attacks corruption wherever he finds it. According the New York Post, one of those Titans getting a little nervous about Reyes is the tech giant Google. Reyes has stated he would like to see the FTC reopen the case against Google for anti-competitive behavior. The case stems from claims that Google improperly pressured mobile phone makers to install Google Apps on their phones. Under the Obama administration the Google investigation was swept under the rug and closed in 2013. Reyes believes new information has come to light and the case needs to be followed where it may lead.
Men like Sean Reyes are few and far between. A man willing to telegraph that he intends to take on a company like Google is made of steel. His history of a strong work ethic and bipartisan praise for his transparent dealings only add to his ability to get things done.
If the Trump administration doesn’t nominate him for FTC Chairman it would be a huge mistake.