Clinton Initially 'Ambivalent' on Public Net Neutrality Backing Ahead of FCC Vote
Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton had “been a bit ambivalent” about “tweeting her support” for the net neutrality order that the FCC approved Feb. 26, 2015, said her aide Jake Sullivan in an email from Feb. 15 of that year,…
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released by WikiLeaks last week. Consultant Tom Freedman had asked John Podesta, a chief official in Clinton’s election effort, if it would “make sense to say something positive now including about her commitment to an open and accessible web?” pegged to the FCC vote, and Podesta turned to other officials including Sullivan. “But I agree -- it's a good issue to be out front on,” Sullivan told Freedman. “We'll revisit.” Clinton backed the FCC majority's approach, including reclassification of internet services under Title II of the Communications Act, in an interview Feb. 24 of that year (see 1504160034). Among other recent emails released, which U.S. intelligence agencies say are likely sourced to a cyber-hack affiliated with the Russian government, Washington Monthly editor-in-chief Paul Glastris congratulated Podesta “on municipal broadband” in an email dated Feb. 28, 2015, and cited a piece Podesta wrote for the magazine in 2006. “When I read that the FCC had overturned state restrictions on municipal broadband I immediately thought of you,” Glastris wrote. Clinton aide Sara Solow also emailed Podesta about Charter Communications’ acquisition of Time Warner Cable and Bright House Networks when the deal was still pending in January of this year. “I actually thought the business case for their merger was pretty sympathetic,” emailed Solow, mentioning a briefing with Charter and saying the combined company wouldn't serve as large a broadband market as AT&T when combined with DirecTV. “I also found it interesting that there hasnt [sic] been ANY congressional hearing on this,” she added. “Skepticism much lower.” In a follow-up email, she wrote, “See no reason to have a view at this point. Don't think there is any pressure to oppose and make this another example of consolidation; on the other hand no upside in supporting.”