The Federal Trade Commission has implemented a new policy barring its political appointees from engaging with the American Bar Association, arguing that the group has become a partisan extension of the Democratic Party. FTC Chairman Andrew Ferguson issued the order, citing the ABA’s history of bias against conservative judicial nominees and its financial connections to USAID.
FTC Chairman Ferguson announces new policy regarding American Bar Association: https://t.co/SzBl8Apg7P
— FTC (@FTC) February 14, 2025
Under the new rules, FTC officials can no longer hold ABA leadership roles, attend its events, or use government funds to maintain membership. Ferguson stated that the decision was necessary after the ABA’s latest attack on Trump administration policies, which he said was filled with Democratic talking points rather than legal analysis.
🚨NEW: FTC Chairman prohibits any political appointees from joining the American Bar Assosication (ABA), calls them out for recieving USAID funds.
"ABA received more than $22 million from USAID and nearly $17 million from the State Department in taxpayer-funded grants and… pic.twitter.com/VxVhIuIRet
— Walter Curt (@WCdispatch_) February 15, 2025
The ABA has been a major recipient of government funds, collecting more than $39 million from USAID and the State Department last year alone. Ferguson argued that the ABA’s opposition to Trump’s reforms was directly tied to its financial interest in maintaining those funding streams.
“The ABA’s outburst was nothing short of a political diatribe, accusing the Trump-Vance administration of “wide-scale affronts to the rule of law,” while conveniently ignoring the nation’s crippling $36 trillion debt crisis.”
— gail newman (@gail834) February 16, 2025
Great to see FTC Chairman taking a stand against the ABA's leftist agenda
The ABA has lost all credibility with its support for unconstitutional measures like the Equal Rights Amendment
Biden and the left are trying to push their radical ideology through any means possible, but…
— Stop Socialist Tyranny (@endlibtyranny) February 15, 2025
Sen. Mike Lee applauded the move, calling the ABA “the lawyer’s wing of the Democratic Party” and questioning its continued role in vetting judicial nominees. He suggested that Congress should reconsider the ABA’s influence over legal education and accreditation as well.
Elon Musk also weighed in, stating that the ABA has evolved into a purely political entity rather than a professional legal organization. With the FTC cutting ties, other federal agencies may soon face pressure to do the same.
🚨FTC CUTS TIES WITH THE ABA—“LAWYER’S WING OF THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY”
The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) just cut all ties with the American Bar Association (ABA)—banning officials from joining, speaking at, or sending taxpayer money to the group.@BasedMikeLee praised the more,… https://t.co/02DusMMDes pic.twitter.com/UsgMPzPiLo
— Mario Nawfal (@MarioNawfal) February 15, 2025
