Report: Gigi Sohn's FCC Nomination Faltering as OAN Walks Back Endorsement

Allum BokhariDecember 9, 2021

The Biden administration’s nomination of the far-left progressive activist Gigi Sohn to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), a powerful federal agency that oversees internet and telecommunications regulation is struggling, according to reports. The news comes as One America News (OAN) walks back its support for Sohn, with network founder Robert Herring saying: “She shouldn’t be anywhere near the FCC as far as I’m concerned.”

Fox News’ Charles Gasparino reported that the White House is “scrambling” to save Sohn’s nomination due to possible conflicts over past legal work and her public comments.

SCOOP (1/3): As @STOmarova withdraws her nomination to run @USOCC, @WhiteHouse scrambles to save the nomination of @gigibsohn to @FCC because of possible conflicts over past legal work and her public comments, sources tell @FoxBusiness. One possible idea floated: Having Sohn

— Charles Gasparino (@CGasparino) December 7, 2021

(3/3) If this is the approach taken to save Sohn’s nomination it will certainly be controversial. “It’s like saying I want to be a priest but I cant work on Sundays,” one industry insider said. Press officials from FCC/Cantwell haven’t returned calls for comment. Developing

— Charles Gasparino (@CGasparino) December 7, 2021

The owner of OAN, Robert Herring, also said his network does not support Sohn’s nomination, slamming her as an “extreme left” pick.

“My son came out and supported her, but the company itself is not supporting her… There is no way this company would ever support her, and no way I’ll ever let it happen. How my son decided he wanted to, I don’t know.”

“She shouldn’t be anywhere near the FCC as far as I’m concerned.”

Prior to Herring’s statement, it was widely reported that One America News along with Newsmax were supporting Sohn’s nomination, despite her track record of calling for the censorship of conservative media.

As Breitbart News reported, Newsmax said it had received “assurances” from Sohn that she would not attempt to censor conservatives if her nomination was successful, despite the fact that both she and the nonprofit she founded, Public Knowledge, regularly called for this.

A report in Axios suggested that Newsmax and OAN might be sympathetic to Sohn because she is a critic of the Sinclair Broadcasting Network, their competitor.

FCC nominee Gigi Sohn is the enemy of the Free Press. pic.twitter.com/MwpWhhBkVd

— The Dirty Truth (Josh) (@AKA_RealDirty) December 7, 2021

As Breitbart News previously reported, Sohn has a track record of far-left, partisan statements.

Via Breitbart News:

Sohn was the co-founder and CEO of the leftist advocacy group Public Knowledge, which recently called on cable and satellite providers to drop the conservative One America News Network (OAN).

As an FCC commissioner, Sohn will be in a position of influence over cable and satellite providers.

She has also personally called on the FCC to investigate whether the Sinclair Broadcast Group, a conservative-run network of local TV stations, should hold a broadcast license. As a commissioner, she will be able to do just that.

She has also said that both Fox News and social media are “dangerous to our democracy,” arguing that Fox is the greater danger and calling for a “hearing” about the network, which she labeled “state-sponsored propaganda.”

…

She has also denied even the possibility that Big Tech companies might be engaged in censorship, or otherwise biased against conservatives, even though leaks from inside the tech companies have repeatedly shown this to be the case.

Instead, Sohn accused tech companies of trying to “appease” President Trump, whom she labeled a “right-wing extremist.”

Republican leaders in the Senate have expressed strong opposition to Sohn’s nomination.

“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,” said Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) last month.

“Sohn, obviously, her views are going to be very far apart from where mine are on all the issues,” Sen. John Thune (R-SD) told Politico. “She’s very left, she’s going to be a heavy hand in regulation.”

Allum Bokhari is the senior technology correspondent at Breitbart News. He is the author of #DELETED: Big Tech’s Battle to Erase the Trump Movement and Steal The Election.