The Federal Trade Commission is in a "dire resource situation," a federal lawyer said on a call about its major lawsuit against Amazon. Within hours, he retracted the claim.

The U.S. Federal Trade Commission said on Wednesday it does not need to delay a September trial against Amazon , reversing an attorney's statement earlier in the day that resource shortfalls due to cost-cutting required an extension.

The Federal Trade Commission yesterday asked a court for extra time before proceeding on a case against Amazon, claiming its resources are too constrained, before reversing course just hours later. Why it matters: This suggests that the FTC may struggle to meet its responsibilities,