Pai Encourages Pallone, Doyle to 'Speak Out' Against Free Press' COVID-19 Petition
FCC Chairman Ajit Pai encouraged House Commerce Committee Chairman Frank Pallone, D-N.J., and Communications Subcommittee Chairman Mike Doyle, D-Pa., “to speak out publicly in favor of the First Amendment -- and thus in opposition to” Free Press’ “misguided” emergency petition…
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for inquiry into broadcasters airing allegedly false information about COVID-19 (see 2004060026). The agency rejected the petition this month, with Pai and other commission Republicans criticizing it as an attack on free speech (see 2004060073). Pallone and Doyle sought reassurance the agency won’t revoke licenses for airing legally protected speech. They cited letters President Donald Trump’s campaign sent to some broadcasters telling them their licenses could be “in jeopardy” if they continued to air ads from the anti-Trump Priorities USA Action Fund political action committee that say Trump called the epidemic a “hoax” (see 2004020069). “I have always stood firmly in the defense of the First Amendment for all Americans,” Pai said in letters to Pallone and Doyle posted Friday. “This has been my long-standing position, and there should be no question as to my commitment.” Pai cited the FCC’s denial of the Free Press petition. “Standing up for the constitutional rights of broadcast stations means that we must do so in all instances in which their rights appear threatened,” he said. “I hope that you agree.” Pai “is willing to cast aspersions on his opponents without using their names or addressing them directly,” emailed FP Vice President-Policy Matt Wood. He “continues to mischaracterize our petition. We did not 'demand' that the FCC 'take action to curtail the freedom of the press.' We asked the FCC to offer guidance on use of the public airwaves to spread COVID-19 disinformation that is quite literally killing people.” Pai “never said in his response that” the Trump campaign’s threats “were wrong or harmful,” Wood said. “He merely said, haughtily, that ‘there should be no question as to my commitment to these ideals.’ That's a non-answer.” The FCC didn’t comment.