Anna M. Gomez
The sole Democratic FCC commissioner who publicly called the CBS-Colbert situation 'another troubling example of corporate capitulation' and stated the FCC has 'no lawful authority to pressure broadcasters for political purposes.'
Statement on the Colbert Controversy
Commissioner Gomez issued one of the most direct official criticisms of the FCC’s role in the Colbert-Talarico affair:
“Another troubling example of corporate capitulation in the face of this Administration’s broader campaign to censor and control speech.”
“The FCC has no lawful authority to pressure broadcasters for political purposes or to create a climate that chills free expression.”
“CBS is fully protected under the First Amendment to determine what interviews it airs, which makes its decision to yield to political pressure all the more disappointing.”
As the lone Democrat on the FCC, Gomez represented the only institutional voice within the commission challenging Carr’s regulatory overreach.