Amazon announced the acquisition in mid-June. Whole Foods shareholders approved the deal earlier Wednesday. | Eric Gay/AP Federal antitrust regulators clear Amazon's Whole Foods purchase

The Federal Trade Commission cleared Amazon's $13.7 billion purchase of Whole Foods on Wednesday, giving the e-commerce giant a major victory in Washington even as it remains a frequent punching bag of President Donald Trump.

The FTC's decision removes any federal antitrust obstacles to the deal, announced in mid-June. The agency took the lead on reviewing the transaction rather than the Justice Department.


"Based on our investigation we have decided not to pursue this matter further," Bruce Hoffman, acting director of the FTC's competition bureau, said in a statement. "Of course, the FTC always has the ability to investigate anticompetitive conduct should such action be warranted.”

The announcement came less than a day after Trump took his latest shot at the online retailer. In a campaign-style speech in Phoenix Tuesday night, the president again slammed The Washington Post as "a lobbying tool for Amazon." The newspaper is personally owned by Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos, not Amazon itself. Trump has frequently accused Amazon of dodging sales taxes.

Morning Tech Technology news from Washington and Silicon Valley — weekday mornings, in your inbox. Email Sign Up By signing up you agree to receive email newsletters or alerts from POLITICO. You can unsubscribe at any time. This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

Whole Foods shareholders approved the deal earlier Wednesday. The two companies have said that Whole Foods CEO and co-founder John Mackey will continue to lead the grocery chain and its 460 stores after the deal is completed.

The blending of two of the country’s best-known brands led some critics to question whether Amazon's reach is growing too vast. But Amazon, which has a small food delivery program called AmazonFresh, doesn't significantly compete with Whole Foods — the traditional concern of federal antitrust regulators.

The Trump administration is also reviewing AT&T's $85 billion acquisition of Time Warner — a deal that Trump threatened to block during the campaign but that many industry observers expect to get approved.

