On Tuesday, Biden’s controversial nominee for Chair of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) withdrew her bid for the position amid backlash over her far-left rhetoric and views.
Breitbart reports that Gigi Sohn had come under heavy scrutiny from Republicans, as well as Democrats, during her 16-month-long confirmation process. Despite voluntarily withdrawing, Sohn nevertheless released a statement complaining about her treatment by Congress, calling herself a victim of “unrelenting, dishonest, and cruel attacks.”
“It is a sad day for our country and our democracy when dominant industries, with assistance from unlimited dark money, get to choose their regulators,” Sohn said in her statement. “And with the help of their friends in the Senate, the powerful cable and media companies have done just that.”
At the heart of the bipartisan resistance to Sohn’s confirmation was her anti-police rhetoric, which was highlighted by Democratic Senator Jacky Rosen (D-Nev.), who said in a hearing on February 14th that she would “like to echo concerns raised about the nominee’s positions on matters of importance for law enforcement, both nationally and in Nevada.”
Sohn’s nomination was officially opposed by both the Fraternal Order of Police and the National Association of Police Organizations (NAPO). NAPO’s Executive Director William Johnson highlighted the fact that, among other instances, Sohn had retweeted a Twitter user who described law enforcement as “armed goons in riot gear with tear gas.”
Also opposing Sohn’s confirmation was Senator Joe Manchin (D-W.V.), who condemned Sohn for her “toxic partisanship.”
Sohn had also actively called for the censorship of conservative media outlets, denouncing Fox News as “state-sponsored propaganda” and “dangerous to democracy.” She also was the cofounder and CEO of the far-left advocacy group Public Knowledge, which repeatedly and publicly called for the deplatforming of the conservative news channel One America News Network (OANN).
Senator Ted Cruz (R-Texas), the ranking member of the Senate Commerce Committee, issued a statement celebrating Sohn’s withdrawal, declaring it to be “a major victory,” and that it “represents a strong bipartisan agreement that we need a fair and impartial candidate who can receive the support needed for confirmation.”
“The FCC is not a place for partisan activists,” Cruz added. “Free speech is too important.