Pai’s Calendar Shows Peek at Agenda

Federal Communications Commissioner Ajit Pai held a flurry of meetings with congressional Republicans and television broadcasters in the weeks before he took charge of the FCC, records obtained show — offering a flavor of his priorities and agenda as he sought the agency's top slot. His appointment calendar from Election Day to Jan. 25 shows then-Commissioner Pai kept in close contact with top GOP lawmakers, who are poised to play a key role in supporting and assisting with his deregulation agenda. He met with no congressional Democrats during that time frame, according to his schedule.

Chairman Pai also carved out a notable amount of time for broadcasters, an interest group that was frequently at odds with the previous FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler. He met twice with Sinclair Broadcast Group, one of the nation's largest TV station owners, and huddled with the chief executives of T-Mobile and DISH as well as leading industry trade groups. Commissioner Pai checked in with former-Gov. Nikki Haley (R-SC) on Dec. 5, after President Trump picked her to be ambassador to the United Nations. And if you’re looking to run across Chairman Pai at your daily power lunch, consider Oceanaire, Del Frisco’s and Charlie Palmer — three restaurants where he lunched with major communications trade group CEOs.