Republicans rail against FCC's broadband plan hired guns

Once again the FCC is coming under fire from yet another politician over how the Democrat-led agency is conducting research for the broadband plan it has to submit to Congress in February.

This time, Republican Darrell Issa (R-Calif), a ranking member of the House Oversight & Government Reform Committee, wants to get insight into the hired help it has brought on to create its national broadband plan. Accusing the agency of a "lack of transparency" in a letter to FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski, Issa is worried that too many of its positions are also held "by lobbyists and industry insiders."

Although no specific names were mentioned, Issa said there was at least three senior staff members hired by the FCC since August who have taken sabbaticals from their day jobs as lobbyists and executives at companies that work on broadband related issues. This, argues Issa, "increases the potential for conflict of interest and unfair influence."

For more:
- Multichannel News has this article

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