FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE, October 21, 2009
Contact: Phil Kerpen (202) 285-9714

WASHINGTON—The grassroots free market organization Americans for Prosperity (AFP) today blasted the FCC for being in bed with Free Press, a group dedicated to advancing government control of the Internet and all media. AFP was reacting to an email sent out under FCC Spokeswoman Jen Howard’s name by Free Press discussing FCC’s intent to advance net neutrality regulations. Free Press is a well-known advocate of government intervention in the Internet and Howard’s attempt to have one foot in and one foot out of government at the same time is outrageous.

“Free Press was founded by left-wing extremists who want to destroy private ownership of the media and the Internet. It was bad enough that the Federal Communications Commission hired Free Press’s former spokesperson, Jen Howard. Now we see that she is still apparently working for Free Press,” said AFP Policy Director Phil Kerpen. “Now that Howard is running the press office for FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski it is shocking that she would still be a soldier for a left-wing advocacy group.”

Free Press is the brainchild of Robert McChesney who wrote a column last year advising President Obama: “In the end, there is no real answer but to remove brick-by-brick the capitalist system itself, rebuilding the entire society on socialist principles.”

“The FCC has put on a false front that it is honestly interested in the public’s feedback on its efforts to regulate the Internet,” said Kerpen. “Today’s revelation that it is sharing employees with a group that is dedicated to destroying our free market system is unacceptable.”

The email headers from Free Press:

      From: Jen Howard press@freepress.net
      Organization: Free Press: media reform through education, organizing and advocacy
      Reply-To: Jen Howard press@freepress.net
      Date: Tue, 20 Oct 2009 17:38:16 -0500 (CDT)
      Subject: OPEN INTERNET COALITION TO DISCUSS FCC NET NEUTRALITY RULEMAKING