• by Wendy Davis  @wendyndavis, June 22, 2010

Federal Communications Commission Chief of Staff Edward Lazarus took to the agency's blog today to defend holding private meetings about potential net neutrality legislation with Internet service providers and Web companies.

After acknowledging that staff has sat down with companies that would be affected by neutrality rules, Lazarus makes the puzzling assertion that these companies aren't required to file formal notices about the get-togethers.

Lazarus argues that the FCC's so-called "ex parte" disclosure requirements don't apply when "stakeholders discuss proposals with Commission staff regarding other approaches outside of the open proceedings.'

Consumer advocacy groups disagree. "Lazarus's claim that these meetings were not subject to ex parte rules is a red herring," Free Press CEO Josh Silver said in a statement. "Either the FCC is hosting these meetings to discuss FCC action on the future of the Internet, in which case they are subject to ex parte rules, or the FCC is secretly conspiring on a legislative strategy with only the largest telecom industry representatives and lobbyists at the table. That's even more outrageous."