CTA Official Tried to Reassure Pai Aides That Security Was Under Control at CES

MuckRock released emails it obtained through a Freedom of Information Act request to the FCC on Chairman Ajit Pai’s decision not to attend CES in January (see 1801100027). Included is a Dec. 29 email from Julie Kearney, CTA vice president-regulatory affairs, to Pai aides asking about rumors Pai wouldn’t attend in person a Jan. 9 on-stage interview with CTA President Gary Shapiro. “We’re hearing from 3rd party sources that the Chairman is planning to do his Tuesday one-on-one session with Gary remotely,” Kearney wrote. “This seems like strange info. since we haven’t talked about it, so I’m just letting you know. I assume that we are all systems GO for CES.” Kearney reassured the Pai aides: “We have a very tight security plan for the room and the area (and for all of CES), so I hope that provides comfort.” Also included is a Jan. 3 email from Kearney to Pai's Chief of Staff Matthew Berry expressing disappointment that Pai canceled and alerting Berry that CTA planned to put out a news release that afternoon announcing Pai's withdrawal from the show. "Gary feels that we need to issue a short release" because many CES attendees "are expecting" Pai's "presence" at the show, said Kearney. She promised CTA would answer any media inquiries about the release with a "no comment." Days later, Shapiro told a C-SPAN interviewer on the CES show floor that Pai withdrew because his children got death threats over the FCC's December vote to roll back 2015 net neutrality rules (see 1801260018). We “totally understand and appreciate all you and the team have done over the past several days on many fronts,” Kearney wrote Berry in her Jan. 3 email. The FOIA materials released also included a Dec. 18 email that Kearney sent FCC staff with draft questions Shapiro planned to ask Pai during their Jan. 9 one-on-one in Las Vegas. Among the topics were net neutrality, efforts to cut regulation and Pai’s digital empowerment agenda. The FCC and CTA didn't comment.