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FCC Chairman Abused Power, House Probe Finds
Congressional Democrats called the FCC ''dysfunctional'' under Chairman Kevin J. Martin.
(By Joshua Roberts -- Bloomberg News)
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"The process we follow here at the commission has been the same for decades and have been under chairmen Republican and Democratic alike," Martin said.
In a conference call with reporters, Stupak went further than the report and said Martin violated the Communications Act by mismanaging a federal fund for telecommunications relay services, a feature for deaf television viewers. Stupak said Martin failed to set reasonable rates and, as a result, deaf viewers were overcharged more than $100 million a year.
Martin said the committee's interpretation of "reasonable" rates differed from the commission's.
"To restore integrity to the FCC and to stimulate economic growth in the telecommunications industry, I believe that President-elect Obama should replace Mr. Martin immediately upon taking office," Stupak said later in an e-mail.
It is expected that Martin, who was appointed by President Bush in March 2005, would be replaced with the inauguration of a new president.
The report also criticized the conduct of the FCC bureau chief for public safety and homeland security, who the committee said routinely violated travel rules by renting "premium class vehicles" at government expense and for charging per diem work fees for days he wasn't working.
"I adamantly and unequivocally deny any impropriety concerning allegations made against me in the report released against me today," bureau chief Derek Poarch said. "I am more than happy to meet with any inspector general and lawyer at any time to discuss and resolve these matters."
Consumer and public advocacy groups lauded the report for pushing transparency in government. Gene Kimmelman, vice president of federal policy at Consumers Union, said that, in the end, the one-year investigation didn't find strong evidence of major malfeasance at the agency.
"The FCC needs to reform and it has needed to for 25 years," Kimmelman said. "Too much is done behind closed doors secretly and it has been that way through Democratic and Republican leadership. So I think a call for reform is welcome, but it's not unique to what's been going for the last several years."
