House Rep Intros FCC Ethics Bill

Maxine Waters

Rep. MAXINE WATERS has introduced a bill that would impose new ethics rules for the FCC, THE HILL reports. The Merging Entities Regulatory Guidance and Ethical Reform (MERGER) Act would require groups that submit comments to the FCC to disclose the political contributions they have received.

The bill would also prohibit FCC officials from accepting employment at a company within one year of an FCC proceeding involving that company. This part of the bill is in response to Commissioner MEREDITH ATTWELL BAKER's resignation from the FCC in MAY to work for COMCAST -- just four months after she voted to approve the its merger with NBC UNIVERSAL.

"The American public must have confidence that agency officials are at all times acting in the public trust and not in anticipation of an employment opportunity," WATERS, who opposed the COMCAST-NBC merger.

Ironically (nor not), WATERS herself has been dealing with charges of ethical misconduct. The House Ethics Committee has been investigating charges that WATERS helped secure federal funding for a bank in which her husband owned stock. WATERS has denied the charges.

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