Written by Vincent Cain
President Biden’s nominee to lead the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) was faced with difficult questions on Wednesday from Republican senators over her apparent partisan bias.
Gigi Sohn, who was part of the Obama administration as an FCC official, was nominated by Biden in late October. Her past statements about conservative media and her openness to revamping the fairness doctrine have caused concern among Republican lawmakers since her nomination.
Sohn has spoken negatively about Fox News many times. One example was in October 2020 when she tweeted that “Fox News has had the most negative impact on our democracy.” She compared it to “state-sponsored propaganda, with few if any opposing viewpoints.” Sohn also said that Sinclair Broadcasting Group should have their license pulled.
While Speaking to the Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee on Wednesday, Sohn stated that her political beliefs would have no impact on how she acted as a policymaker.
“I’ve been in government before, and the values that are important being a policymaker: responsiveness, transparency, integrity – that’s what you’ll get from me if I’m confirmed,” Sohn said. “So, yes, I said something maybe too sharp, but that will have absolutely no determination in how I would rule on a proceeding with any of those companies.”
Sen. Dan Sullivan, R-Alaska, also had Sohn look over her comments against Republicans, mentioning that having some “nasty tweets against Republicans” is a good way to get into the Biden Administration.
“Is MSNBC state-sponsored propaganda too? This goes directly to the power you’re going to have. This is not some random tweet. Millions of Americans watch that news station,” Sullivan said.
Sohn was also grilled about her affiliation as a board member on the Locast, a streaming app that retransmitted local broadcast signals over the Internet without broadcasters’ permission. Locast had used a loophole in copyright law for nonprofits to pirate content. Locast considered themselves “nonprofit” since they did not charge a fee and solicited “donations” instead. A federal judge ruled Locast’s business model as illegal and it was forced to stop operating.
In a statement, Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., “While I have been deferential to all presidents when it comes to picking their team, I have also pushed back on unqualified nominees and hacks.”
“Gigi Sohn is a complete political ideologue who has disdain for conservatives. She would be a complete nightmare for the country when it comes to regulating the public airwaves,” Graham said.
Photo Cred: Andrew Harrer/Bloomberg via Getty Images
