Ajit Pai

Ajit Varadaraj Pai is an American lawyer and the former Chairman of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC). He was first appointed to the FCC's board by President Barack Obama in 2012 and was re-appointed as the Chairman by President Donald Trump in 2017.Ajit Pai, Federal Communications Commission In late 2017, Pai became notorious after leading the FCC's decision to repeal 2015 regulations enforcing net neutrality.Kang, Cecilia, F.C.C. Repeals Net Neutrality Rules, The New York Times, 14 December 2017 Before working for the FCC, Pai had worked as legal counsel for Verizon Communications from 2001 to 2003. In November 2020, after Joe Biden beat Trump, it was announced that Ajit Pai would step down as FCC chairman, and he departed the FCC in January 2021.FCC Chairman Ajit Pai will step down on January, CNBC, November 30, 2020
==Quotes==
See, guys? Pai favors a free and open Internet!:Reardon, Marguerite, Meet the man John Oliver just called 'doofy', CNET, 8 May 2017
Despite the public being totally against abolishing net neutrality, Pai still claims he's representing the American people:
==The open mind that wasn't==
Despite claiming to have an open mind on the issue, evidence would indicate otherwise. New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman gave evidence that 2 million Americans' identities had been stolen to submit fraudulent comments against net neutrality, despite the FCC refusing to cooperate with his investigation.N.Y. AG says FCC got millions of fake comments on net neutrality by Kenneth Lovett (December 13, 2017, 6:53 PM) New York Daily News.FCC stonewalled investigation of net neutrality comment fraud, NY AG says: Net neutrality fraudsters likely impersonated "hundreds of thousands" of people. by Jon Brodkin (11/22/2017, 8:10 AM) Ars Technica. Congressman and former prosecutor Ted Lieu suggested Pai could be complicit with criminal misconduct without investigation of the alleged fraud:Unacceptable @FCC & @AjitPaiFCC are letting criminal misconduct taint their vote on #NetNeutrality. What are they hiding? If they don't delay their vote, Congress needs to hold hearings now (or after Nov 2018) on whether @AjitPaiFCC & #FCC were complicit with criminal misconduct. by Ted Lieu (11:04 PM - 12 Dec 2017) Twitter.
The vote went ahead on December 14, 2017; as expected, Pai voted to end net neutrality in a 3-2 vote.The FCC just killed net neutrality: It's over by Jacob Kastrenakes (Dec 14, 2017, 1:12pm EST) The Verge. Immediately following the vote, the attorneys general of multiple states stated that they would sue the FCC:State attorneys general line up to sue FCC over net neutrality repeal: Net neutrality supporters will try to reinstate the rules in courts and Congress. by Jon Brodkin (12/14/2017, 2:40 PM) Ars Technica.
===Corruption===
Pai had a private meeting with AT&T executives Bob Quinn and John Stankey on February 27, 2017, the topics of which were likely AT&T's opposition to net neutrality and AT&T's proposed $85 billion merger with Time Warner.Watchdog Demands Details of Private Meeting Between FCC and AT&T Executive who Hired Trump Lawyer: American Oversight Files FOIA Requests Related to February 2017 Dinner Between FCC Commissioner Pai and AT&T Executives (May 11, 2018) American Oversight. The meeting may have been arranged by Trump's private lawyer, Michael Cohen, who had previously been paid $600,000 by AT&T to advise on the merger, a payment that had been approved by Quinn.Cohen's $600,000 deal with AT&T specified he would advise on Time Warner merger, internal company records show by Rosalind S. Helderman, Brian Fung & Tom Hamburger (May 10, 2018) The Washington Post.AT&T CEO: Hiring Cohen as a consultant was a 'big mistake' by Brian Fung & Tony Romm (May 11, 2018) The Washington Post. Quinn was forced out of AT&T with a golden parachute, while AT&T CEO Randall Stephenson claimed that hiring Cohen was a "big mistake".
==Buy now!==
Pai (via Daily Caller) explains how you can still buy cheap plastic shit you don't need without net neutrality. If Comcast blocks RationalWiki, well, tough shit!
Pai's video includes the famous song "Harlem Shake". According to the record label Mad Decent, which released the song, Daily Caller was not given permission to use "Harlem Shake". Mad Decent has issued a takedown request for copyright violation.5 crazy things that happened as the FCC voted to undo its net neutrality rules (December 18, 2017) The Washington Post.Official statement re the use of "Harlem Shake" in Daily Caller's video of FCC Chairman Ajit Pai: neither Mad Decent nor Baauer approved this use nor do we approve of the message contained therein. We have issued a takedown will pursue further legal action if it is not removed. by Mad Descent (4:38 PM - 14 Dec 2017) Twitter.
The video also contains the apparently hip and trendy fidget spinner, further proof that Republicans just don't get the Internet.
This proves that Ajit Pai either doesn't understand net neutrality or thinks we are all idiots. In this video, Ajit Pai conflates net neutrality with buying stuff when it is about forcing internet companies to treat all information equally.
==External links==
*Twitter
*FCC page
==References==
Category:Internet
Category:Lawyers
Category:Living people
Category:Trump administration