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FTC set to vote on Intel
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June 4, 1998: 8:00 p.m. ET
Commission will decide on Monday whether to file antitrust charges
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NEW YORK (CNNfn) - The U.S. Federal Trade Commission Thursday set a meeting for noon EDT Monday to vote on antitrust action against Intel Corp.
If the commission votes to file a suit against the computer chip titan, the case will be filed with an administrative judge later on Monday.
FTC commissioners met with Intel Thursday to discuss the case. A source close to the proceedings said the fact that the commissioners met with Intel so quickly suggests the case is on the fast track.
One factor that could affect the vote is the resignation of Mary Azcuenaga, one of the FTC's five commissioners, who left her post Wednesday. Her term had expired, but she resigned sooner than expected.
Azcuenaga's departure means FTC competition chief William Baer needs three out of four commissioners to approve his recommendation to sue Intel, rather than three out of five.
However, the source said Baer would not have made the recommendation if he didn't know where his votes are.
The FTC has argued Intel (INTC) illegally used its monopoly power by arbitrarily cutting off technical information to competitors, preventing those companies from shipping their products on time.
The FTC's case is based in part on a suit filed by Intergraph Corp. (INGR) The company claimed Intel used "coercive tactics," including withholding vital information and technical support, to acquire the rights to Intergraph's microprocessor patents at no cost. 
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