Did Comcast Ghostwrite Rahm Emanuel’s Letter to the FCC?

[eridani]

http://www.thenation.com/article/203169/did-comcast-ghostwrite-rahm-emanuels-letter-fcc

On August 26th of last year, David L. Cohen, a Comcast Executive Vice President, joyously announced that the cable giant’s controversial proposed merger with Time Warner had generated a frenzy of supportive letters to the Federal Communications Commission from nearly 70 mayors and dozens of other state and local officials. In particular, Cohen singled out a letter from one of the country’s most high-profile mayors.

“We’re proud to have the support of Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel, who praised Comcast’s acclaimed Internet Essentials program and the increased investment and faster Internet speeds that the transaction will bring in his letter,” Cohen wrote, referring partly to Comcast’s discounted services for low-income customers. Emanuel’s letter, submitted to federal regulators just days before, was indeed glowing. The mayor asserted his belief that the proposed merger would not reduce consumer choice or drive up prices (a primary concern of the proposal’s critics), before launching into breathless praise of the company’s charitable activity in Chicago.

“Comcast currently makes considerable contributions in Chicago,” Emanuel writes, “and we expect those contributions to continue—and increase—if the proposed combination is approved.”

The authorship of Emanuel's letter, however, may be more complex than meets the eye. Before Emanuel wrote to federal regulators, Comcast appears to have furnished the mayor with some writing assistance in the form of suggested language—and perhaps even a whole first draft—regarding his FCC letter. When The Nation submitted a FOIA request to his office requesting any records of suggested language or any Comcast-supplied draft, the mayor's office responded that such a communication does indeed exist. It is refusing, however, to turn over the Comcast document, citing a state law that allows the withholding of preliminary drafts, suggestions, notes and communications in which opinions are expressed or actions or policies are formulated.

[merrily]

1. I'm guessing Comcast mailed the letters out to many mayors. Those who wanted to side with Comcast

and against consumers had someone put it on Mayor's office stationery and mail it. Those who did not want to side with Comcast either trashed it or had someone file it.

I think Rahm is trying to be cute about the FOIA request.

Whatever Comcast sent him was a final product to Comcast, not a draft. And it was not Rahm's own draft, either. Most likely the exemption was never intended to cover something like that. It's the kind of half truth a POS tries to get away with, knowing that, if caught, they can always say that's was their honest interpretation of the law.

Regardless of whether the Comcast communication is actually covered by the exemption or not, did anyone even bother to ask Rahm WHY he feels he needs to avail of himself of an exemption? Why he does not just turn over the document? An exemption does not forbid turning over the document.

BTW, Teddy Roosevelt had it right. Mega companies that just about add up to monopolies are lousy for consumers (and smaller businesses).

[Enthusiast]

2. I'm guessing you are correct.

[billhicks76]

3. Boot The Centrists From The Leadership

[HereSince1628]

4. I suspect this is another one that will get the "it wasn't illegal" defense

No doubt. Politicians can make things legal, even while they can't make those things ethical.

Passing such law would certainly have been quite pragmatic because without such an enabling act how could politicians meet their obligations to serve those who made their election possible?