FCC proposes millions in fines, collects $0

The Federal Communications Commission has yet to collect more than $100 million in fines it's announced against companies in the past two years, sparking criticism from members of Congress who say the agency is chasing headlines without following through on enforcement.

Among the outstanding cash: about $100 million in penalties proposed in 2013 against nearly a dozen companies accused of defrauding the FCC's Lifeline program, as well $35 million against a Chinese company for allegedly selling illegal wireless jamming equipment in June 2014. While the FCC says it's scored important consumer protection wins even without the collection of some penalties, its frequent press releases about enforcement actions — with collection of fines lagging far behind — have irked key lawmakers who oversee the agency. "If an enormous fine is announced and it's never prosecuted, it makes you wonder what's the purpose?" said House telecom subcommittee Chairman Greg Walden (R-OR). "The question is, are they just after headlines or some sort of performance metric? I don't know."