We recently updated our deep dive into the revolving door at the Federal Communications Commission with even more concerning instances of past commissioners with deep ties to the industries the agency is supposed to be regulating. Among a long list of conflicts of interest however, there’s still a standout: Tom Wheeler, who served as FCC Chairman from 2013 to 2017.
It might surprise some of our readers to know that, even though Tom Wheeler had one of the most extensive telecom lobbyist resumes on our list so far, he positioned himself as a capable regulator while vying for an FCC position. He argued that he was ready to break old ties and get his hands dirty by effectively cracking down on regulating Big Telecom companies as an FCC commissioner. The reason why he would be so willing to be strict with his former employers, he argued, was that working for FCC would be his last job: “And Wheeler, unlike other rumored candidates like Obama policy brain Karen Kornbluh and sitting FCC commissioner Jessica Rosenworcel, is likely on his last job: He won’t be positioning himself to maintain potentially lucrative relationships in the future, like some advocates have suspected of Genachowski (all he’s done so far is join the Aspen Institute).”
Obviously, Wheeler was not on his last job. After four years spent breaking his promises (like approving several major corporate mergers, far from a crackdown), he did not retire upon leaving the FCC. Instead, Wheeler now sits on the board of an internet communications company with major tech industry investors. He also leads a law firm called The Shiloh Group, which earns its money from “…strategy development and private investments in the telecommunications sector.”
The moral of the story is clear: former corporate lobbyists should not be entrusted with the responsibility of serving the public interest.