Subject: [NEXTEL-1] Government Plays Party Pooper For Victory

From: Marcel <[email-masked]>
Date: Wed, 22 Jan 2003 15:37:03 -0500

Government Plays Party Pooper For Victory
BY MARK ROCKWELL
JANUARY 22, 2003

WASHINGTON - Following a stream of negative national newswire stories, the
government's ethical watchdog is asking Nancy Victory, director of the National
Telecommunications Industry Administration, to refile an ethics report regarding a
party given for her by friends who include several wireless company lobbyists.

The Office of Government Ethics last night told NTIA's general counsel that Victory
should refile a report dealing with an Oct. 1, 2001, party given at her house by
'six longtime personal friends' to celebrate her confirmation as NTIA director.

A report initially circulated by The Associated Press noted that those friends
included lobbyists for SBC Communications, Cingular Wireless - which is a
partnership controlled by SBC - and Motorola. The report also indicated the party,
for which $480 reportedly was spent, took place shortly before Victory
recommended to the FCC that it repeal longstanding limits on spectrum
ownership.

The small amount of the total spent on the party seemed to confound procedural
vetting by government ethics rules, though. A statement issued by Victory after
stories about the party began circulating indicated she vetted the event in
advance with the Department of Commerce's Ethics Office.

The new recommendation by the government's ethics office re-interprets how the
total amount is reported, according to an NTIA spokeswoman.

Industry officials who have officially worked with, and against, Victory's NTIA on
policy matters scoffed at the reports while wondering about who is behind them.
The inference that the party influenced Victory's decision was almost laughable to
some. 'Why would she notify the ethics office if she was being influenced?,'
laughed one. 'Wow, five hundred whole dollars,' laughed another.

http://www.wirelessweek.com/index.asp?layout=newsat2direct&starting=2&pubdate=01/22/03

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