President Joe Biden’s nominee to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) went down in flames on Tuesday after she faced a brutal confirmation process and a key Democrat said that he would oppose her nomination.
Sen. Joe Manchin (D-WV) announced on Tuesday that he would not vote for Gigi Sohn after she faced “unprecedented, bipartisan opposition to her nomination as a result of her years of partisan activism, inflammatory statements online, and work with far-left groups.” Sohn withdrew her nomination to the post later that day.
Manchin said that the FCC has been an independent, nonpartisan regulator of all forms of communication in American life for the last century and that it has only started to become highly politicized in recent years.
“The FCC must remain above the toxic partisanship that Americans are sick and tired of, and Ms. Sohn has clearly shown she is not the person to do that,” Manchin said. “For those reasons, I cannot support her nomination to the FCC, and I urge the Biden Administration to put forth a nominee who can bring us together, not drive us apart.”
FLASHBACK
Sen. Ted Cruz blasted Gigi Sohn in his opening statement during her 3rd confirmation hearing in February: “If Ms. Sohn’s brazen theft of intellectual property, her lack of candor, and her conflicts of interest weren't disqualifying on their own, pic.twitter.com/tTwzRqJl1D… https://t.co/eOuktoJwbE
— Steve Guest (@SteveGuest) March 7, 2023
FLASHBACK:
Sen. Ted Cruz to Gigi Sohn: "As you know, I have significant concerns about your record, that you've demonstrated a hostility to conservative speech… And the FCC is a very dangerous place for a regulator to have the authority to silence pic.twitter.com/u6F6gjwfZt… https://t.co/tsNFUlnAqF
— Steve Guest (@SteveGuest) March 7, 2023
FLASHBACK: Sen. Ted Cruz grills Gigi Sohn on her claim that Fox News is “destroying democracy.” pic.twitter.com/o8kB3OaOHJ
— Steve Guest (@SteveGuest) March 7, 2023
FLASHBACK:
Sen. Ted Cruz to Biden FCC nominee Gigi Sohn: "Do you believe it was poor judgment to give 12 separate political contributions to Democrat Senators while your nomination was pending?"
Sohn: "The answer is no." pic.twitter.com/D59XFyVS0h
— Steve Guest (@SteveGuest) March 7, 2023
Sen. Ted Cruz: “While her nom was pending, Ms. Sohn was making multiple financial donations to Senators who are charged with voting on her confirmation. Had this been done by a [GOP] nominee, I have no doubt that my Democrat colleagues & their media allies would be apoplectic.” pic.twitter.com/NXZtrfTwrA
— Steve Guest (@SteveGuest) February 14, 2023
Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX), Ranking Member of the Senate Commerce Committee, led the Republican opposition during Sohn’s confirmation hearings by highlighting her history of advocating for censorship of conservatives, hostility to Right-wing media, “brazen theft of intellectual property,” her conflicts of interest, her not showing “candor” with the committee, and controversial political donations that she made while undergoing the confirmation process.
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“The withdrawal of Ms. Sohn’s nomination is a major victory and represents a strong bipartisan agreement that we need a fair and impartial candidate who can receive the support needed for confirmation,” Cruz said in a statement. “The FCC is not a place for partisan activists; free speech is too important. Now, it’s time for the Biden administration to put forth a nominee who can be confirmed by the full Senate and is committed to serving as an even-handed and truly independent regulator.”