McCain Digs His Hole a Little Deeper: Newsweek Catches McCain In Lie- Paxson Communications and the FCC

Newsweek is reporting that McCain testified in a deposition five years ago that he personally spoke with the CEO of Paxson Communications regarding Paxson’s business before the FCC. This flatly contradicts McCain’s denial yesterday that he’d had any contact with Paxson or his representatives regarding the matter. Here’s the Newsweek link: http://www.newsweek.com /…

McCain flatly denied yesterday that he’d been asked to write a letter to the FCC either by Paxson or his representatives. McCain’s campaign continues today to insist that McCain never spoke personally with Paxson or his lobbyists regarding this matter. But here’s McCain’s own testimony in a deposition in 2002:

Q: “Do you know were they got the information?”

McCain: “No. But I would add, I was contacted by Mr. Paxson on this issue.”

Q: “You were?”

McCain: “Yes.”

Q: “Can you tell us what you said and what he said about it?”

McCain: “That he had applied to purchase this station and that he wanted to purchase it. And that there had been a numerous year delay with the FCC reaching a decision. And he wanted their approval very bad for purposes of his business.I said I would be glad to write a letter asking them to act. But I will not write a letter, I cannot write a letter asking them to approve or deny, because then that would be an interference in their activities. I think everybody is entitled to a decision. But I can’t ask for a favorable disposition for you.”

Q: “Did you speak to the company’s lobbyist about these matters?”

McCain: “I don’t recall if it was Mr. Paxson or the company’s lobbyist or both.”

Q: “But you did speak to him?”

McCain: “I’m sure I spoke with him, yes.”

The deposition was given in connection with a lawsuit by Mitch McConnell that challenged the McCain-Feingold legislation. McConnell’s lawyer, Floyd Abrams, was questioning McCain about his efforts on behalf of Paxson in an effort to demonstrate that McCain himself engaged in the kind of lobbyist driven efforts that he purported to abhor.

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