(WASHINGTON, D.C.) – Congressman Jamie Raskin (D-MD) today joined fellow Democratic Members of the Subcommittee on Antitrust, Commercial and Administrative Law, led by Committee Chairman Jerrold Nadler (D-NY) and Subcommittee Chairman David N. Cicilline (D-RI), in sending a letter to Federal Trade Commission (FTC) Chairman Joseph Simons requesting documents regarding the FTC's investigation of Covidien's acquisition of rival medical device manufacturer Newport Medical Instruments. The request comes as reports show that Covidien abandoned a contract previously agreed to by Newport Medical Instruments and the Department of Health and Human Services to develop inexpensive portable ventilators for the national stockpile. The FTC approved Covidien's acquisition of Newport Medical Instruments under the fast-track, early termination process one month after the deal was announced with minimal scrutiny. 

Full text of the letter can be found here and below.

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