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Comcast Ghost-Writes Politician's Letters To Support Time Warner Mega-Merger

Posted by Soulskill on from the where-the-money-lies dept.

WheezyJoe writes: As the FCC considers the merger between Comcast/Universal and Time-Warner Cable, which would create the largest cable company in the U.S. and is entering the final stages of federal review, politicians are pressuring the FCC with pro-merger letters actually written by Comcast. According to documents obtained through public records requests, politicians are passing letters nearly word-for-word written by Comcast as their own. "Not only do records show that a Comcast official sent the councilman the exact wording of the letter he would submit to the FCC, but also that finishing touches were put on the letter by a former FCC official named Rosemary Harold, who is now a partner at one of the nation's foremost telecom law firms in Washington, DC. Comcast has enlisted Harold to help persuade her former agency to approve the proposed merger."

Ars Technica had already reported that politicians have closely mimicked Comcast talking points and re-used Comcast's own statements without attribution. The documents revealed today show just how deeply Comcast is involved with certain politicians, and how they were able to get them on board.

5 of 181 comments (clear)

  1. Money *needs* to be removed from Politics ... by UnknownSoldier · · Score: 5, Insightful

    When companies can "effectively" just "buy laws" (and/or Politicians) corruption knows no bounds for price gouging.

    1. Re:Money *needs* to be removed from Politics ... by Tablizer · · Score: 5, Insightful

      It's indeed disgusting. We are largely a plutocracy and few citizens seem to give a fudge. We chastise China, Cuba, N. Korea etc. for not having democracies, but neither do we, making us hypocrites.

      (I know, technically we were a "republic", not a "democracy", but they functioned as mostly the same thing for most of our history.)

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      Table-ized A.I.
    2. Re:Money *needs* to be removed from Politics ... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Insightful

      As opposed to only getting to hear the ones paid for by the elite ruling class?

  2. Angry, lost my template at this story by Impy+the+Impiuos+Imp · · Score: 5, Funny

    This is blown way out of proportion. Companies are made of citizens who get to persuade officials like anyone else.

    I (insert Senator's name here) stake my reputation on it!

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    (-1: Post disagrees with my already-settled worldview) is not a valid mod option.
  3. Re:There should be a law by Fire_Wraith · · Score: 5, Insightful

    The best proposal I heard was to require members of Congress to wear the emblems of their major sponsors, the way Nascar Drivers do. At least then we can easily see who's paying for them.