Schneiderman issues statement on U.S. GAO investigation of fake Net Neutrality comments
New York Attorney General Eric T. Schneiderman released the following statement after the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) agreed to investigate potential fraud and the misuse of American identities during the federal rulemaking process:
“For months, my office has been investigating the millions of fake comments that corrupted the FCC public process, including two million that stole the identities of real people.
I’m pleased that the U.S. Government Accountability Office agreed to also investigate these comments, and I thank Representatives Greg Meeks, Elijah Cummings, Frank Pallone, and the other members of Congress who successfully pushed for this investigation.
My office will continue our investigation into this potential impersonation – which is a crime under New York law. The FCC’s decision to move ahead with its vote last month – despite widespread evidence of corruption – made a mockery of our public comment process and rewarded those who perpetrated fraud in order to advance their own agenda.
New Yorkers, and all Americans, deserve to know what happened, who was behind it, and how the federal government will prevent it from happening again.”
Since last spring, Attorney General Schneiderman has been investigating the fake comments submitted during the net neutrality comment process, with his office’s latest analysis showing that two million of the comments stole real Americans’ identities.
Separately, Attorney General Schneiderman is leading a coalition of 22 Attorneys General that filed suit against the FCC and its illegal rollback of net neutrality.