WASHINGTON (AP) – President Barack Obama is choosing a member of the Federal Trade Commission to become its chairman.

The White House said Friday that Obama intends to nominate commissioner Jon Leibowitz to lead the agency.

Leibowitz is the only Democrat among the five commissioners responsible for policing the business industry for anticompetitive practices and enforcing consumer protection laws. A lawyer, Leibowitz became a commissioner in September 2004.

The commission currently has one vacancy.

Before joining the FTC, Leibowitz was vice president of congressional affairs for the Motion Picture Association of America.

AP-ES-02-27-09 1433EST