Pai Says He Was Unaware of DOJ Probe Into Then-BDAC Chair Later Indicted for Fraud
FCC Chairman Ajit Pai said he and staff weren't aware of a DOJ probe of Elizabeth Pierce before she resigned as chair of the Broadband Deployment Advisory Committee in September 2017. Pai responded to a query from Rep. Keith Ellison,…
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D-Minn., about Pierce, ex-Quintillion CEO, who was indicted by DOJ in April for allegedly engaging in a scheme to induce investment of more than $250 million in an Alaskan fiber network (see 1804130055). The exchange was posted Thursday in docket 18-5: a May 8 Ellison letter seeking a response by May 21, and Pai's Sept. 27 letter. Pai said the FCC followed the requirements of the Federal Advisory Committee Act, including Office of General Counsel vetting Pierce, selected for chair "based on her apparent qualifications and recommendations." He said she chaired two BDAC meetings in April and July 2017 before working groups developed recommendations. "In August 2017, my office was informed that Ms. Pierce would be stepping down for personal reasons -- and she formally resigned in September, before the BDAC or its working groups considered or approved any recommendations," he wrote. Pai Is "pleased" with BDAC progress over the last two years: "all adopted recommendations have been approved by at least a super-majority of members," many unanimously.