Lawmakers ask Jeff Bezos to testify, saying Amazon made 'possibly criminally false' statements to Congress

Members of the House Judiciary Committee have asked Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos to testify before Congress and clarify statements from the company they say may be "criminally false."

The Wall Street Journal reported last week that although Amazon says it does not use data from third-party sellers to develop competing products, interviews with more than 20 former employees "reveal that employees did just that."

Amazon said this practice violates its policies and that "we strictly prohibit our employees from using nonpublic, seller-specific data to determine which private label products to launch." The Journal noted that Amazon associate general counsel Nate Sutton said in congressional testimony last year that "we don't use individual seller data directly to compete" with third-party sellers.

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Following the Journal's report, seven members of the House Judiciary Committee have written a letter to Bezos asking him to testify, saying the report suggested Amazon "exploited its role" as the country's largest online marketplace, CNBC reports. The lawmakers go on to note that the reporting seems to contradict previous testimony from Amazon.

"If the reporting in the Wall Street Journal article is accurate, then statements Amazon made to the committee about the company's business practices appear to be misleading, and possibly criminally false or perjurious," the letter says.

The committee tells Bezos that they expect him to testify voluntarily, but "we reserve the right to resort to compulsory process if necessary."