Policymakers

The public record contains substantial evidence that President Donald Trump attempted to impede the investigations of Michael Flynn and Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election, including by firing FBI Director James Comey. There is also a question as to whether President Trump conspired to obstruct justice with senior members of his administration although the public facts regarding conspiracy are less welldeveloped.

Attempts to stop an investigation represent a common form of obstruction. Demanding the loyalty of an individual involved in an investigation, requesting that individual’s help to end the investigation, and then ultimately firing that person to accomplish that goal are the type of acts that have frequently resulted in obstruction convictions, as we detail. In addition, to the extent conduct could be characterized as threatening, intimidating, or corruptly persuading witnesses, that too may provide additional grounds for obstruction charges.

Team Internet — a grassroots network of Network Neutrality activists — pulled out all the stops to try to stop Federal Communications Commission Chairman Ajit Pai from being reconfirmed. The weekend of Sept 29, Team Internet texters recruited over 500 people to call their lawmakers and urge them to #FirePai. Over the course of the campaign, nearly 4,000 people called their members of Congress and close to 60,000 people signed a petition.

House Communications Subcommittee Chair Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) will run for Senate in 2018, making her the likely front-runner to fill the seat of retiring Sen Bob Corker (R-TN). Addionally, TN State Rep Mark Green annnounced his plans to run for Blackburn's House seat.

FCC Commissioner Brendan Carr announced the appointment of Drema Johnson as Confidential Assistant in his office, and the departure of Natalie Martinez, who served as Acting Confidential Assistant since August 2017. Johnson has held several positions at the FCC. She served initially as the Confidential Assistant to then FCC Chairman William Kennard. Most recently, Johnson served in the Office of Commissioner Mignon Clyburn as Confidential Assistant and Deputy Chief of Staff. Before joining the agency, Johnson served as Project Director for the Jamestown 400th Commemoration Commission. She also worked as Special Assistant to former Speaker of the House Thomas Foley.Commissioner Carr also announced that Natalie Martinez, who has been serving as his Acting Confidential Assistant, will be rejoining the FCC’s Office of General Counsel.

The Senate Commerce Committee has voted unanimously (by voice vote) to forward the nomination of David Redl to the full Senate for a vote. Redl is President Donald Trump's pick to head the National Telecommunications & Information Administration, which is an arm of Commerce and the President's right-hand advisor on telecommunications issues.

Commissioner Jessica Rosenworcel announced the appointment of Travis Litman as Chief of Staff and Senior Legal Advisor, with primary responsibility for wireline and public safety issues. She also announced the appointment of Kate Black as Policy Advisor, with primary responsibility for media issues. In addition, she announced that Lashion Pratt will join the office as a Staff Assistant.

Travis Litman is a Commission veteran, who returns to the office after previously serving as Commissioner Rosenworcel’s Senior Legal Advisor for wireline and consumer issues. Travis has held a variety of roles in the agency’s Kate Black joins the office from EMILY’s List, where she most recently served as Chief of Staff. Lashion Pratt joins the office from the Office of Managing Director after starting with the Commission as a Staff Assistant in the former Chairman’s office in 2016.

Fight for the Future is going after the four Democratic Sens who joined with Republican Sens in voting to confirm Federal Communications Commission Chairman Ajit Pai to another term at the FCC. Many Democrats took to the floor during vote to decry Pai's deregulatory policies, particularly his proposal to roll back Title II classification of ISPs and rethink the Open Internet order's rules against blocking, throttling and paid prioritization; those against the confirmation said loudly they would vote against him, suggesting his policies were anti-consumer and anti-net neutrality. But Sens Joe Manchin (D-WV), Claire McCaskill (D-MO), Gary Peters (D-MI), Jon Tester (D-MT) voted to confirm Pai for another five-year term at the agency. Fight for the Future said it was targeting those lawmakers with crowdfunded billboards to be placed in their districts calling them out for their votes.

In the spring of 2012, Donald Trump’s two eldest children, Ivanka Trump and Donald Trump Jr., found themselves in a precarious legal position. For two years, prosecutors in the Manhattan District Attorney’s office had been building a criminal case against them for misleading prospective buyers of units in the Trump SoHo, a hotel and condo development that was failing to sell. Despite the best efforts of the siblings’ defense team, the case had not gone away. An indictment seemed like a real possibility. The evidence included e-mails from the Trumps making clear that they were aware they were using inflated figures about how well the condos were selling to lure buyers. New York prosecutors were preparing a case. Then the DA overruled his staff after a visit from a top donor: Trump attorney Marc Kasowitz.

[Commentary] To shed light on the motivations of the tech elite, I and my co-authors at Stanford Graduate School of Business, David Broockman and Neil Malhotra, released the findings from a political survey of over 600 tech company founders. Our results revealed a group that was largely supportive of Democrats and redistribution through higher taxation. That is, they seemed to defy the stereotype of hyper-libertarian big business and the results were received with considerable confusion.

In this post, I’d like to show how these seemingly contradictory beliefs are unified (based on the data). All of the policies supported by the Valley make a lot more sense in the context of their core belief: a radical optimism in the future. “I tend to believe that most Silicon Valley people are very much long-term optimists,” said LinkedIn founder and Hillary Clinton supporter Reid Hoffman. “Could we have a bad 20 years? Absolutely. But if you’re working towards progress, your future will be better than your present.”

[Gregory Ferenstein is the editor of The Ferenstein Wire]

On Oct 2, the US Senate voted to confirm Ajit Pai for a second term as Chairman of the Federal Communications Commission.

FCC Chairman Ajit Pai: “I am deeply grateful to the U.S. Senate for confirming my nomination to serve a second term at the FCC and to President Trump for submitting that nomination to the Senate. Since January, the Commission has focused on bridging the digital divide, promoting innovation, protecting consumers and public safety, and making the FCC more open and transparent. With today’s vote, I look forward to continuing to work with my colleagues to advance these critical priorities in the time to come.”

FCC Commissioner Brendan Carr: “I congratulate Chairman Pai on his confirmation to serve another term at the FCC. His focus on bridging the digital divide, promoting openness and transparency at the agency, and modernizing the FCC’s rules are already paying dividends for consumers and entrepreneurs alike. I look forward to continuing to work with him and my fellow Commissioners on policies that will create jobs, promote investment, and grow the economy for the benefit of all Americans.”

FCC Commissioner Michael O'Rielly: “I am exceptionally pleased that Chairman Pai has been approved for a new Commission term by the U.S. Senate. To date, his leadership as Chairman has brought greater openness and thoughtfulness to our proceedings. In the months and years ahead, I look forward to continuing our work to advance a pro-growth, less regulatory communications environment that best serves the consumer.”

FCC Commissioner Jessica Rosenworcel: “I congratulate Chairman Ajit Pai on his reconfirmation late yesterday by the United States Senate. Chairman Pai brings a unique mix of humor, determination, and skill to his job. I look forward to continuing to work alongside him in the future to advance the public interest.”

FCC Commissioner Mignon Clyburn: “I extend my congratulations and best wishes to Chairman Ajit Pai on his reconfirmation by the United States Senate. Even when our views differ, my admiration of the Chairman’s commitment to public service remains. I look forward to continuing to work with him to advance our shared goals.”