News reports indicate that the White House is poised to nominate Christopher Mufarrige, the current Director of the Federal Trade Commission’s (FTC’s) Bureau of Consumer Protection, to serve as an FTC commissioner. If nominated and confirmed by the Senate, Mufarrige would step into one of the five commissioner roles, transitioning from overseeing consumer protection enforcement to directly shaping the agency’s broader enforcement priorities and policy decisions.
For independent dealers, the move would put an official already focused on auto dealer advertising and sales practices in a position to influence how the FTC regulates the industry going forward. Appointed as Bureau Director in February 2025 by FTC Chairman Andrew Ferguson, Mufarrige has led numerous enforcement actions targeting unfair business practices. Notably, in March 2026, he signed warning letters sent to 97 dealership groups cautioning them that their advertising practices could violate Section 5 of the FTC Act.
The FTC is structured to be headed by a five-member, bipartisan commission. However, the agency currently operates with only two commissioners: Chairman Andrew Ferguson and Commissioner Mark Meador, both of whom are Republicans. Even if Mufarrige is confirmed, the commission will remain entirely without Democratic commissioners.
