Is The FCC Boss Playing Dirty?

There is no doubt that when it comes to FCC Chairman Ajit Pai, he's nothing but a lapdog for both Sinclair and President Trump. 

Well now, two House Democrats are calling for the FCC’s inspector general to investigate the spineless Pai over his moves to relax media ownership rules and whether they are timed to benefit Sinclair's purchase of Tribune.

Variety writes that Rep. Frank Pallone, Jr. (D-N.J.), the ranking member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, and Rep. Elijah E. Cummings (D-Md.), the ranking member of the House Oversight Committee, claim that Pai has refused to respond to queries about the timing of the actions, and whether he or his staff used personal email accounts or messaging services to communicate about Sinclair or with company officials.

The lawmakers cited a number of rules changes, including an FCC vote in April to reinstate the so-called UHF discount. That allows station groups to “discount” the reach of their UHF holdings, providing a way for some companies to comply with national ownership caps.

“All of these actions, when taken in context with reported meetings between the Trump Administration, Sinclair, and Chairman Pai’s office, have raised serious concerns about whether Chairman Pai’s actions comply with the FCC’s mandate to be independent,” Pallone and Cummings wrote in their letter to Inspector General David L. Hunt.