House Report Slams FCC Chair Kevin Martin For Manipulating Data, Suppressing Information

WASHINGTON (AP) -- In a scathing report released Tuesday, congressional investigators outlined a pattern of mismanagement, dysfunction and abuse of power at the Federal Communications Commission under the agency's Republican chairman, Kevin Martin.

The report -- the result of a nearly yearlong, bipartisan investigation by the House Energy and Commerce Committee -- accuses Martin of manipulating data and suppressing information to influence telecommunications policy debates at the agency and on Capitol Hill.

The report also charges that the commission has become politicized, failed to carry out some important responsibilities under Martin's leadership, and blames him for undermining an open and transparent regulatory process.

Martin also is accused of micromanaging commission affairs, demoting agency staffers who did not agree with him and withholding information from his fellow commissioners. "Chairman Martin's heavy-handed, opaque, and non-collegial management style has created distrust, suspicion and turmoil among the five current commissioners," the report says.

Martin's legacy at the FCC will be "a blueprint of what not to do," said Bart Stupak, D-Mich., who chairs the House Commerce Committee's Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations.

"The findings suggest that, in recent years, the FCC has operated in a dysfunctional manner and commission business has suffered as a result," said Commerce Committee Chairman John Dingell, D-Mich., who will be relinquishing the reins of the panel to California Democrat Henry Waxman next year.

Robert Kenny, a spokesman for Martin, said the committee "did not find or conclude that there were any violations of rules, laws or procedures." Martin is widely expected to leave the commission after the White House changes hands.

Among the findings of the 110-page report:

-- Martin manipulated the findings of an FCC inquiry into the potential consumer benefits of requiring cable companies to sell channels on an individual -- or "a la carte" -- basis. The House investigation concludes that Martin undermined the integrity of the FCC staff and may have improperly influenced the Congressional debate on the matter by ordering agency employees to rewrite a report concluding that a la carte mandates would note benefit consumers.

-- Martin tried to manipulate the findings of an annual FCC report on the state of competition in the market for cable and other video services to show that the industry had a big enough market share to permit additional government regulation. When the full commission voted to reject that conclusion, Martin suppressed the report by withholding its release.

-- Under Martin's leadership, the FCC's oversight of the Telecommunications Relay Service Fund, which pays for special telecommunications services for people with hearing or speech disabilities, was overly lax. This resulted in overcompensation of the companies that provide these services by as much as $100 million a year -- costs that were ultimately passed along to phone company customers.

Kenny said Martin makes no apologies for his "commitment to serving deaf and disabled Americans and for fighting to lower exorbitantly high cable rates that consumers are forced to pay."

Comments

[Feedbaxter]

The House Report is certainly points out much more than the surface issues I'd commented on this past January (see the "FCC Chairman" blog entry from www.feedbaxter.com). Martin's got some glaring issues. Perhaps it's telling that he was once a "Special Assistant to the President for Economic Policy.

[KarlaElisa]

So if I were investigated and found to be committing fraud and not doing my job I'd be fired, be denied unemployment and get no benefit package.

What are they waiting for?

[iknowdou]

Yawn.

I could have written this report two years ago, WHEN IT WAS HAPPENING.

But, when corruption is happening, having a commission study it and then report it's findings and then making recommendations and having some new office created to make sure history is not repeated, yeah, that's sensible and way easier than regulating things properly the first time. In other words, hold people accountable while they are in office so that crimes are not committed or are caught and dealt with promptly and save the drama for prime time.

Always scurrying around, 'fixing' blatant miss use of power, is a lot of fun to see but otherwise pointless.

[flyday611]

The article states: "This resulted in overcompensation of the companies that provide these services by as much as $100 million a year -- costs that were ultimately passed along to phone company customers.­"

Does this mean we get a refund in our monthly charges or do we have to file a class action lawsuit???

Who do we write about this? In Georgia that would be Saxby, right? Isn't that called Thief by taking?

I want my refund!!!!

Proof that Republicans really know how to steal from the people and give it to rich. Talk about your transfer of Wealth!!!! Over and Over again.

I'm writing for my refund! How about you?

[Porchard]

Maybe one consideration for the FCC, when and if someone with integrity and intelligence is appointed, would be to regain control over television commercials. Beginning with Reagan's 1980 "deregulation" commercials increased several fold, and have now just about destroyed any drama even the longer shows offer.
I also wonder about the frequency (and louder volume) of commercials - and if these correlate to the epidemic of Attention Deficit Disorder the US is experiencing.
Drama - art itself - involves opening ourselves up, and identifying and empathzing; such sensitive processes are abruptly - and violently - interrupted by loud, overbearing and ridiculous (the better to get your attention) commercials. Repetition of such violence can do harm to our ability to sustain interest in and pay attention to what we chose as important.

[WilliamProc]

DemocracyNow has been reporting since 2004 of the morally bankrupt practices of the FCC, and no one peeped. The cost of Cable TV to consumers shot through the roof, A`la Carte Digital packages were forced on to customers, and so on. It had been widely reported that the FCC was making it near impossible for independent radio and TV stations to get licenses while allowing corporations like Clear Channel to build monopolies.

Nothing new in this report to me!

[quantumspin]

So, will anything BE DONE about this?

We need an FCC that actually regulates broadcasters rather than acting like banking regulators.

[Erdgeist]

Typical Republican philosophy: don't govern for good of all -- but govern to stay in power and the rest be damned.

[tailgateshirts]

IF your an evangelical with a 2 year degree from a community college, you too can become the head of a major dept. under a republican administration!!

Whooooppiieee!!!

EVEN ME?!?! Man I love republicans letting the average joe the plumber into positions of power and needed intellect

[edwcorey]

So what are the consequences? There's been lots of smoke coming from the Bush cabal's arson of America. But merely pointing at it--what's the good of that?

[karlo5]

Another good christian bush appointed.­..their god surely does work in mysterious ways.

[artsandminds]

I find it quite odd how God and big business in right-wing American politics are seemingly synonymous.

[kasinca]

Another example of Republicans appointing people who hate the department they are appointed to run so they can destroy the mission. Republicans can show no good will for the people of the USA, EVER!

[MajorKong]

This is what happens when you put people who hate government in charge of government.

[1murillo]

As Rachel M said (about Republicans arguing for an office and the destruction of government):

"That's like putting a vegan in charge of the butcher shop." (Perhaps that should be a "butcher in charge of the vegan shop"?)

[BillMelater]

Let's move on to hammer the FDA who has let us all vulnerable to melamine and lord knows what.

[jalaroc]

The FCC has always been one of my least favorite government agencies. It has always seemed more interested in expanding its authority, imposing the views its chairman holds on what is acceptable, and far far too friendly, in business terms, with the Companies that it watches over. It is ironic that for all the conservative hoopla about keeping government out of our lives and allowing us to make our own decisions, they are so appreciative of the out and out censorship championed by the FCC.