After enduring a vitriolic and homophobic smear campaign from right-wing media outlets during a 16-month lobbying battle — with little public defense from Democratic leadership — career-long consumer rights advocate and veteran telecom lawyer Gigi Sohn withdrew her nomination to the Federal Communications Commission on Tuesday. That news came almost immediately after reports that Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., planned to vote against Sohn's confirmation, likely torpedoing the nomination.
"When I accepted his nomination over sixteen months ago, I could not have imagined that legions of cable and media industry lobbyists, their bought-and-paid-for surrogates, and dark money political groups with bottomless pockets would distort my over 30-year history as a consumer advocate into an absurd caricature of blatant lies," Sohn said in a statement Tuesday.
