FCC Inspector General Report Says Chairman Ajit Pai Showed No Favoritism Or Improper Behavior In Sinclair-Tribune Case

Pai

An investigation by the FCC Inspector General's office says that it found "no evidence, nor even the suggestion, of impropriety, unscrupulous behavior, favoritism towards SINCLAIR, or lack of impartiality related to the proposed SINCLAIR-TRIBUNE merger" on the part of FCC Chairman AJIT PAI.

The report, prepared by a member of the office whose name was redacted from the document, was prepared in response to Congressional inquiries from last NOVEMBER; it concluded after reviewing records of emails and other correspondence and interviewing PAI and his Chief of Staff MATTHEW BERRY that the review "did not reveal any improper actions" and that "actions taken by Chairman PAI in the rulemakings identified in the letters from Congress are, as he stated in his interview, consistent with his long-held, and publicly espoused, policy beliefs."  PAI's decision to designate the deal for hearing, a move that torpedoed the transaction, was cited in the report as "significant evidence that (the) Chairman did not engage in any favoritism toward SINCLAIR."

PAI said, “I’m pleased that the Office of Inspector General has concluded that there was ‘no evidence, nor even the suggestion, of impropriety, unscrupulous behavior, favoritism towards SINCLAIR, or lack of impartiality related to the proposed SINCLAIR-TRIBUNE Merger.’  I have called on the FCC for many years to update its outdated media ownership regulations to match the realities of the modern marketplace.  As I said when this investigation was first announced, the suggestion that I favored any one company was absurd, and today’s report proves that Capitol Hill Democrats’ politically-motivated accusations were entirely baseless.”

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