On August 19, Kroger filed a motion for preliminary injunction against the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) in the U.S. District Court, Southern District of Ohio, seeking to block the reviewing of its proposed $25 billion merger with Albertson's Companies, Inc.

The company argues that by proceeding in its administrative tribunal, in addition to the separate action in federal court, the FTC is violating Constitutional protections.

"The merger between Kroger and Albertson's is squarely focused on ensuring we bring customers lower prices starting day one while securing the future of good-paying union jobs," said Rodney McMullen, Kroger Chairman and CEO. "We stand prepared to defend this merger in the upcoming trial in federal court – the appropriate venue for this matter to be heard – and we are asking the Court to halt what amounts to an unlawful proceeding before the FTC's own in-house tribunal."

The motion details how the FTC's administrative proceeding against the merger violates the Constitution in two areas:

• First, the FTC violates Article II of the Constitution because the Administrative Law Judge presiding over the administrative proceeding is not removable by the President of the United States. This principle was recognized and applied by the Supreme Court in Free Enterprise Fund v. Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (2010).
• Second, the FTC violates Article III of the Constitution by seeking to adjudicate Kroger's private rights to contract with another private party administratively through the Executive Branch rather than in the independent Judicial Branch. This standard was reinforced this past term by the Supreme Court in SEC v. Jarkesy (2024).

The lawsuit filed in Cincinnati comes a week before the company is scheduled to face a trial where the FTC has asked a federal judge in Portland, Oregon, to temporarily block the merger while its in-house judges review the deal.

In a release, Kroger said that the FTC has sought to split its challenge to the merger into two separate tribunals in an inappropriate attempt to receive multiple opportunities to litigate the same issues.

"Despite forcing Kroger to participate in this unconstitutional administrative proceeding, the FTC has also filed a motion in the federal court proceedings seeking to block the merger for the duration of its administrative proceeding – which will likely take several years to resolve," the release said. 

Related article: Supermarket chain Kroger plans to lower prices after merger