FCC Withholds Ajit Pai's Emails Regarding The Infamous 'Harlem Shake' Video
from the b(5)-for-all-the-things dept
Last December, Federal Communications Commission Chairman Ajit Pai starred in a "PSA" produced by The Daily Caller. In the video, Pai addressed all the "trolls" in the net neutrality debate, reassuring the public that they will still be able to enjoy things on the internet after its repeal. To illustrate this, Pai does the absolute polar opposite of an enjoyable thing on the internet: the Harlem Shake.
That segment actually led to the video being temporarily removed from YouTube after a copyright complaint from the record label Mad Decent.
Curious as to whose idea this was, I filed a FOIA for emails between The Daily Caller and the FCC, as well as any talking points regarding this huge PR coup. Four months later, the FCC responded. The agency found two pages of emails but would be withholding them in their entirety under FOIA's infamous b(5) exemption regarding deliberative process.
This isn't even the first time the FCC has used b(5) to deny access to records regarding Pai starring in an embarrassing video - the agency rejected Gizmodo's request for records relating to a comedy skit in which Pai joked about being a "Verizon puppet," similarly under b(5).
Read the rejection letter embedded below or on the request page. If you're interested in Pai and the fight for net neutrality, you can check out his calendar here.
Republished from MuckRock
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Filed Under: ajit pai, b(5), fcc, foia, harlem shake, transparency
Companies: daily caller
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Sadly there's no event on that calendar where he steps down and stops crapping all over the place.
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Fallacy of relative privation.
It's possible to issue a FOIA request for this and also for other information Pai is withholding. Not only is it possible, it's happened. Pai has refused a number of FOIA requests related to a number of aspects of the Title II repeal and its planning.
It is not a zero sum game. There is not some Law of Conservation of FOIA Requests at work here, where if you issue a FOIA request for one thing, you cannot issue a FOIA request for a different thing.
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I never saw that video, but oh god that screenshot! Here's an out of touch captured regulator saying, "greetings fellow kids, you can still have all your fun toys, pay no attention to your eroding freedoms."
It's panem et circenses. Except he's a tone deaf dufus.
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