Report: FCC Chairman Ajit Pai Turns Down NRA Award

RADIO ONLINE | Friday, March 2, 2018

FCC Chairman Ajit Pai

FCC Chairman Ajit Pai, a Republican, turned down an NRA gun award he received at the Conservative Political Action Conference last week, citing the advice of ethics officials at his agency, reports Politico. The NRA named Pai the recipient of the Charlton Heston Courage Under Fire Award at CPAC for his efforts to repeal the net neutrality rules put it place during the term of President Obama.

The FCC Chairman, in a letter sent Thursday to the NRA, said he was "surprised" by the award and turned down the award, a Kentucky handmade long gun, which the NRA first said would be housed at the organization's museum until he could retrieve it.

"As you know, once my staff became aware of what was happening, they asked backstage that the musket not be presented to me to ensure that this could be first discussed with and vetted by career ethics attorneys in the FCC's Office of General Counsel," Pai wrote, according to a FCC source told Politico. "Therefore, upon their counsel, I must respectfully decline the award."