Background: Earlier today, FCC Chief of Staff Edward Lazarus posted a note on the FCC blog regarding meetings he and other staff members were having with the public. The post is here.
The following statement is attributed to Public Knowledge:
“We are appalled at the idea put forward by the FCC Chief of Staff that there will be no disclosure (ex parte) requirements for meetings the Commission staff will hold on topics directly related to ongoing FCC proceedings.
“To say, as Mr. Lazarus did, that ‘other approaches outside of the open proceedings’ would not be subject to disclosure requirements is simply not acceptable in any circumstance, must less in an Administration and an FCC which have promised new levels of transparency.
“Discussions of the authority of the FCC over broadband, or network neutrality can cover a wide range of topics at any given time, whether dealing with legislation or not. To have ideas put forward by advocates, whether corporate or public interest, kept from the public, is not the way this FCC should do business.
“The FCC is an independent regulatory agency and should conduct itself accordingly. It should render decisions on current docketed proceedings based on the record before it.”
Members of the media may contact Communications Director Shiva Stella with inquiries, interview requests, or to join the Public Knowledge press list at shiva@publicknowledge.org or 405-249-9435.