Net neutrality friends and foes air their concerns in a pair of congressional hearings Wednesday, the latest front in a war of words ranging from K Street to your TV set.
Continue readingHow telecoms and cable have dominated net neutrality lobbying
With the FCC's proposal threatening net neutrality, lobbying activity looks like it's reached a fevered pitch. But for the organizations involved, especially telecom companies, lobbying has been at a fevered pitch for a decade.
Continue readingObama bundler Tom Wheeler helps his former industry from FCC perch
Beyond his experience on the front lines of the communications industry, Wheeler ingratiated himself with the Obama administration in another key way: bundling campaign cash for the president.
Continue readingVerizon lobbyists host fundraisers for Intelligence Committee members
Lobbyists for Verizon Communications, which is refusing comment on a now-confirmed report that the telecommunications giant turned millions of its customers' records over to the National Security Agency, have thrown fundraisers for members of the House and Senate Intelligence Committees, records compiled by the Sunlight Foundation show.
According to the Political Party Time database, which tracks candidate fundraising events, lobbyists for Verizon Communications have hosted at least five fundraising events for Sens. Barbara Mikulski, D-Md., and Susan Collins, R-Maine. Louis Dupart, of the lobbying firm The Normandy Group, hosted at least three events, two for Mikulski and one for Collins, while Wayne Berman hosted two more for Collins, including a birthday reception in 2010. Both senators voted in 2008 in favor of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, which shielded telecom companies, including Verizon, from lawsuits related to an earlier wiretapping controversy.
Lobbyists for Verizon have also hosted a fundraiser for Sen. James Inhofe, R-Okla., an ex officio member of the Senate committee, and Rep. Thomas Rooney, R-Fla., a member of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence.
Continue readingOpponents of net neutrality attending congressional telecom meetings spend more on lobbying
Last Friday, two congressional committees held closed door discussions with 31 representatives from industry and activist groups to discuss writing... View Article
Continue readingFormer government officials hired to lobby as Congress looks to rewrite telecom law
As leaders in Congress announced a series of hearings this June to tackle huge telecommunications issues with a focus on... View Article
Continue readingNet neutrality: Do campaign contributions tell the whole story?
After 74 Democratic members of the House of Representatives sent a letter to Federal Communications Commission Chairman Julius Genachowski warning that the FCC should not advance net neutrality rules without explicit direction from Congress, Free Press put together a page showing career campaign contributors from PACs, employees and lobbyists of interests that oppose the measure, intended to keep the Internet a level playing field.
The biggest recipient of telecom campaign cash was Rep. Bobby Rush, D-Ill., who took in more than $128,000--over the course of an 18-year career, that averages out to about $14,400 an election cycle. Four ...
This Week In Transparency – June 5, 2009
Here are a few of the more interesting media mentions of Sunlight and our friends and grantees from the past... View Article
Continue readingIn Broad Daylight: Cell, Cell, Cell…
Sen. McCain, can you hear me now? Sen. Stevens pays for his own lunch like a big boy. And Rep.... View Article
Continue readingIn Broad Daylight: Your Own Personal Cell Phone Towers
Senators get their own cell phone towers installed, don’t pay for it. Rep. Tim Mahoney continues to sink in yet... View Article
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