Q&A: Anna Gomez is the sole Democrat on the FCC. She has a warning for big media companies
WASHINGTON (AP) — Anna Gomez wakes up every morning and checks her phone to see if it’s the President Donald Trump He just fired him.
For now, he remains the only Democrat in the election. Federal Communications CommissionHe is taking on an increasingly urgent mission to pressure media companies to fight more forcefully against the administration he says is restricting freedom of expression.
Its immediate focus DisneyParent of ABC. This is the subject of investigations launched by the FCC under Trump ally Chairman Brendan Carr.
One extraordinary four page letter To Disney CEO Josh D’Amaro earlier this month, Gomez outlined what he described as the FCC’s “sustained, coordinated campaign of censorship and control” against the company. He noted investigations touching on everything from diversity practices to ABC’s moderation of the 2024 presidential debate to booking guests on “The View” and management’s handling of late-night hosting. Jimmy Kimmel get fired
He is particularly concerned that the FCC’s move to early review ABC’s broadcast licenses in markets where local stations are owned is an effort to intimidate the network. He called it “the most egregious attack on the First Amendment the FCC has ever undertaken.”
His message was simple: Fight back. He argued that Disney made a controversial payment decision. 15 million dollar defamation lawsuit Shortly before Trump’s return to office, it did the company little good and set a bad example for the rest of the industry
“This agreement did not bring you peace,” he wrote in the letter. published on social media. “It just bought you time.”
D’Amaro has not publicly responded to Gomez. But there is signaled a new approach In a filing this month, he accused the FCC of taking actions that “could chill critical protected speech.”
In an interview from his Washington office, Gomez said he was encouraged by Disney’s response and encouraged other publishers to prepare for similar challenges. He is an extremely rare figure in the nation’s capital; He is one of the few Democrats who retained their seats at federal agencies after Trump fired most of them in an attempt to bend the bureaucracy to his will.
Supreme Court taking into account its constitutionality Trump’s moves and a decision could be made in the coming weeks.
While this term continues, Gomez’s term is scheduled to end on June 30. But he will likely remain at the agency unless Trump fires him, where his presence provides a quorum that gives Carr the opportunity to continue implementing his agenda. Given the Senate’s narrow split and dwindling timetable ahead of the midterm elections, it will be difficult for Trump to power a new candidate.
Here are highlights of the interview, edited for length and clarity.
AP: What prompted you to write a letter to Disney?
GOMEZ: At the beginning of this administration, I was becoming increasingly concerned about what I saw as this administration’s campaign to control and censor speech. So I went on a tour around the country speaking to journalists, local publishers, legal experts and press freedom advocates. And when I came back, there was a belief that we really had to do something.
Then I started watching the capitulation. We saw CBS settle its case with the president and then agree to terms that essentially required a ombudsman to audit the network’s content in order for the transaction to be approved by the FCC. Of course, we saw the ABC settle its case, and I became increasingly concerned about the fact that this capitulation would lead to capitulation.
And so I wrote the letter, and the letter had two goals in mind. One was to basically go on the record and call out everything this FCC was doing to rein in Disney, but also encourage it and other broadcasters to strengthen their backbones. We know from this administration’s record that every time it is taken to court for violations of the First Amendment and freedom of the press, it loses.
AP: Is your ultimate goal to get a court to rule against the FCC?
GOMEZ: Ultimately, I want companies to back off because if this case goes to court, any organization that challenges what the FCC is doing is going to win.
AP: The media landscape has changed dramatically since the FCC was founded. Now what is the government’s role in this area?
GOMEZ: Traditionally, the FCC licenses local broadcast stations, and what we license is actually their spectrum, the airwaves on which they broadcast their television and radio. And he did this by keeping three basic principles in mind. Competition, because competition is always good for consumers, audiences and the market. Locality, which really means serving your local market; This means content is actually available 24 hours a day, but it means truly local content. And finally, diversity of perspectives. We want to encourage more voices, not less voices.
And I think that’s the right role for the FCC. Being a censor is not the right role for the FCC.
AP: You’ve been in and out of the FCC for decades. You are a lawyer, some might even say a technocrat. Looking back on your career, did you think you would be so vocal against the actions of the agency and ultimately management?
GOMEZ: No, I never thought in my entire career that I would have to speak so strongly for the First Amendment of our Constitution and our democracy.
As you said, I’m a bit of a technocrat. I’m used to talking about airwaves, and I’m used to talking about broadband and how important it is for everyone to have broadband access. I’m used to talking about really boring things like how to attach to lampposts. But media wasn’t something I felt I needed to delve into particularly deeply. But as I said, this administration worries me so much that I had to go back.
AP: You and Chairman Carr have a cordial relationship, despite intense differences of opinion. Do you have a secret you’d like to share with the rest of Washington about how to do this?
GOMEZ: You know, we have a professional relationship and we work well together. He has been in my situation and understands my need to speak openly, and I do so freely, knowing that one day I may face the consequences. However, we strive to maintain a cordial relationship.
AP: Are you talking about the possibility of being fired by the president?
GOMEZ: Yeah, especially last year when I saw the administration fire all the Democratic members of the different independent commissions and bodies. I checked my email every day. Literally every day I pick up my phone and wonder, “Am I going to go to work today?” I say. And so far so good.
AP: Your term will last until June 30 and you are needed for a quorum. If you don’t have email when you wake up in the morning, what are your plans?
GOMEZ: After my term ends, I may continue to serve another year and a half as long as no one else is nominated and confirmed for my specific position. So I intend to keep working and keep speaking out as much as I can.
