Sen. Mike Lee (R-UT) issued the following statement Tuesday, responding to news stories discussing potential antitrust investigations of high-tech firms.

“Antitrust is a highly technical inquiry, not something that lends itself to easy generalizations or blanket condemnations,” Sen. Lee said. “This is why such investigations are best left to the antitrust agencies rather than Congress.”

“That said,” Sen. Lee continued, “the leaks coming from various government agencies about possible antitrust investigations only undermine the effectiveness of our nation’s antitrust laws. They also call into question why we have two federal agencies responsible for civil antitrust enforcement. The substantive antitrust issues faced by tech firms share many similarities and there is a real danger that a divergence in enforcement policy between the Antitrust Division and the FTC will only result in confusion. We should be seeking more harmony in antitrust enforcement, not less.”