Congress targets FCC honcho for investigation

Federal Communications Commission Chairman Kevin Martin may consider looking for another line of work --- Congress has begun investigating whether he's abusing his power as FCC boss. Things will only get worse for the controversial chairman, who has been accused by consumer groups and many Democrats of siding with big telcos, ignoring consumers, and decimating the nation's competitiveness when it comes to broadband.

According to Variety, early this week, Rep. John Dingell (D-Mich.), head of the House Commerce Committee send Martin a note warning, "Given several events and proceedings over the past year, I am rapidly losing confidence that the commission has been conducting its affairs in an appropriate manner."

Dingell added, "a trend appears to be emerging of short-circuiting procedural norms, suggesting a larger breakdown at the agency."

Dingell was prodded to send the letter by Rep. Bart Stupak (D-Mich.), chairman of the Commerce Committee's Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations. Stupak is even more blunt than Dingell, and said in a statement that he's gotten complaints about Martin from consumers and from inside the communications industry, and that "many of the allegations indicate possible abuse of power and an attempt to intentionally keep fellow commissioners in the dark."

Dingell, meanwhile, made clear that an investigation will soon be underway, saying in his letter that the initial questions to Martin, "will be pursued by the Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations for further inquiry into commission procedures to ensure that the commission processes are fair, open and transparent, and that they serve the public interest."

In other words, turn the watchdogs loose.

It's about time that Martin be investigated. It's not just that he makes decisions without consulting others --- his decisions, in almost every case, favor telcos, and harm consumers and the U.S.'s general competitiveness. I hope that the Congressional investigation doesn't focus only on how he makes decisions. It should instead turn the spotlight on just how wrong and harmful those decisions have been.