via washingtonexaminer:
Public interest advocate Gigi Sohn has withdrawn her nomination for the Federal Communication Commission, ending a three-year effort by the Biden administration to get her appointed as the third Democratic commissioner.
The failure of her candidacy is a blow to the Biden administration’s hopes to reinstate net neutrality and implement technology regulations, and it is a significant win for Republicans aiming to slow President Joe Biden’s agenda.
Sohn’s withdrew Tuesday after Sen. Joe Manchin (D-WV) said he would oppose her, making it difficult for her to gain a majority in the Senate.
Her withdrawal comes after 16 months of efforts by Republicans criticizing her activism for Democratic causes, online inflammatory remarks, and partnerships with select left-leaning groups.
“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 told the Washington Post. “And with the help of their friends in the Senate, the powerful cable and media companies have done just that.”