Government & Communications

[Commentary] During his tumultuous campaign, Donald Trump declared war on the press, pledging to “open up our libel laws” and impose fines on critical journalists if elected. Within a month of taking office, he vowed to go after leakers, comparing them to Nazis, and urged then-FBI director James Comey to jail reporters who published classified information.

Two top Republicans on the Senate Judiciary Committee are questioning former national security adviser Susan Rice about an "unusual" message she sent to herself on Jan 20, 2017 — President Donald Trump's Inauguration Day. Senate Judiciary Chairman Chuck Grassley (R-IA) and Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) questioned Rice about why she sent a note detailing a conversation she observed on Jan. 5 between then-FBI Director James Comey and then-President Barack Obama.

White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders accused reporters of putting national security at risk by publishing classified information. Revelations that former staff secretary Rob Porter received an interim security clearance despite an FBI investigation that turned up allegations of past spousal abuse has led to questions about who at the White House is handling sensitive information.

House Intelligence Committee Chairman Devin Nunes (R-CA), a relentless critic of the media, has found a way around the often unflattering coverage of his role in the Trump-Russia investigation — by operating his own partisan news outlet. Resembling a local, conservative news site, “The California Republican” is classified on Facebook as a “media/news company” and claims to deliver “the best of US, California, and Central Valley news, sports, and analysis.” But the website is paid for by Nunes’ campaign committee, according to small print at the bottom of the site.

President Donald Trump refused to authorize the release of a Democratic rebuttal to a Republican intelligence committee memo alleging that FBI and Justice Department officials abused their power to spy on former Trump campaign adviser Carter Page. The White House said it could not release the Democrats' memo because the Justice Department "has identified portions...which it believes would create especially significant concerns for the national security and law enforcement interests." That explanation stands in stark contrast to his release of the GOP memo.

[Commentary] On our individual phone bills a line item is typically included for 9-1-1 service. It’s a relatively small fee that states and localities charge to support emergency calling services. But too many states are stealing these funds and using them for other purposes, like filling budget gaps, purchasing vehicles, or worse.  It’s time for 9-1-1 fee diversion to stop.

[Commentary] We like to imagine American politics as a kind of scored debate, with political actors acting as the debaters, the media acting as the judge, and the public acting as the audience. Much of cable news is based, implicitly or explicitly, on this metaphor.

On October 11, 2017, Sen Ed Markey (D-MA) wrote to Federal Communications Commission Chairman Ajit Pai asking for a response to President Donald Trump's call to challenge television broadcasters' licenses because of their news coverage. On February 1, 2018, Chairman Pai wrote back saying that he is a strong supporter of the First Amendment and the FCC will continue to protect the First Amendment. "I have made clear that the FCC does not have the authority to revoke a license of a broadcast station based on the content of a particular newscast," Chairman Pai wrote.

With government access to foreign communications much on the minds of Washington legislators these days--particularly a FISA Act warrant related to a Trump Administration official--a bipartisan group of Congressmen is introducing the Clarifying Lawful Overseas Use of Data (CLOUD) Act.

A Puerto Rican journalists’ organization is suing the island’s Demographic Registry over what it says are under-reported death counts following Hurricane Maria. The Center for Investigative Journalism (CPI) filed the suit Feb 7, arguing that the registry did not provide statistical updates on the death count after the hurricane. The suit cites a right to “public information and high public interest for Puerto Rico."