October 16th, 2008
Verizon, AT&T delivered free cell tower to McCain ranch
Verizon and AT&T installed portable cell towers for the sole benefit of Cindy McCain, who suffers from poor cell reception at the McCains’ 15-acre ranch near Sedona, Ariz., the Washington Post reported last night.
The McCain campaign reacted angrily:
“This story is a disgrace. The McCain’s went through the process that is available to anybody who subscribes to one of these cell phone companies to inquire about getting service,” said a campaign spokesman.
Meanwhile, Obama lawyer Bob Bauer attacked:
“This is John McCain’s display of his maverick ethics: He believes he is entitled to free cell service while other Americans have to pay for theirs.”
The Post story reported that Cindy McCain asked for a public cell tower to be installed near the ranch. Verizon went through the start of a public process to install but ultimately decided it didn’t make business sense. Verizon delivered a portable tower free of charge to the McCain property in June, after the Secret Service made inquiries. Not to be left out, AT&T brought in a portable tower to match Verizon’s offer. “This is an unusual situation,” AT&T spokeswoman Claudia B. Jones said. “You can’t have a presidential nominee in an area where there is not cell coverage.”
As the Post reports it, the free cell tower raises conflict of interest concerns, seeing as how McCain is a senior member of the Senate Commerce Committee, which oversees the telecom industry, and McCain has deep lobbying ties to the industry, as follows:
Five campaign officials, including managerRick Davis, have worked as lobbyists for Verizon. Former McCain staff member Robert Fisher is an in-house lobbyist for Verizon and is volunteering for the campaign. Fisher, Verizon chief executive Ivan G. Seidenberg and company lobbyists have raised more than $1.3 million for McCain’s presidential effort, and Verizon employees are among the top 20 corporate donors over McCain’s political career, giving his campaigns more than $155,000.
McCain’s Senate chief of staff Mark Buse, senior strategist Charles R. Black Jr. and several other campaign staff members have registered as AT&T lobbyists in the past. AT&T Executive Vice President Timothy McKone and AT&T lobbyists have raised more than $2.3 million for McCain. AT&T employees have donated more than $325,000 to the Republican’s campaigns, putting the company in the No. 3 spot for career donations to McCain, according to the nonpartisan Center for Responsive Politics.
The companies were also angry about the report. Verizon said it was “wrong.”
Verizon received a request from Mrs. McCain, but declined. Subsequent to that, the Secret Service made a legitimate request for a temporary tower for its work and Verizon complied as is required by our contract with the agency.
I tend to think the story here is in Verizon’s apparent willingness to go along with Cindy’s wishes. Ultimately, smarter heads prevailed but why exactly did they jump when she cried “cell tower?” And why were the portable towers free? Surely, the phone companies’ contracts don’t require them to provide free service.
