One of President Joe Biden’s nominees is defending the timing of her political contributions.
Gigi Sohn, appointed to serve on the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), faced a grilling from Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) over the timing of her donations to Democratic senators.
“In the 15 months that your nomination has been pending, you’ve made not one, not two, not three, you’ve made 12 separate political contributions to senators running for office,” he said. “I’ve been in the Senate 10 years. I have never seen a nominee make contributions to senators while your nomination is pending.”
The Texas senator explained he asked his staff to review records to find out if nominees in the Trump administration had donated to senators while their nominations were pending, and they could not find other examples. He then noted Sohn had donated $32,000 to various candidates over the years.
Cruz asked, “Do you believe it was poor judgment to give 12 separate political contributions to Democrat senators while your nomination was pending?”
“I’m a citizen who just wanted to participate in the Democratic process. The answer is no,” Sohn responded.
Watch the video below:
Cruz called out Biden FCC pick Gigi Sohn for making 12 donations to Dem Senators while her nomination was pending
— Washington Free Beacon (@FreeBeacon) February 14, 2023
"I've never seen that once..do you believe it was poor judgement?"
Sohn: "I'm a citizen who just wanted to participate in the Democratic process. The answer is no." pic.twitter.com/7mLqBI4y3f
Cruz pressed, “So yes or no, do you think it’s poor judgment to cut checks to senators who are voting on your nomination while it’s pending?”
“Relatively small donations, no, I don’t,” Sohn said.
Cruz noted she donated “over $1,000” while her nomination was pending.
The Washington Examiner reported last week on a letter from Tom Jones, president of the conservative watchdog group the American Accountability Foundation (AAF), calling on Democrats who received Sohn’s donation to recuse themselves.
“Ms. Sohn’s donations to your campaigns and your acceptance of her contributions during the pendency of her confirmation have irrevocably corrupted the decision-making process and made an objective vote on her confirmation impossible,” Jones wrote.
He added, “While Ms. Sohn’s donations were not illegal, they were unethical. The campaign contributions will undermine the people’s confidence in your and her decisions by creating the perception that campaign contributions are part of lawmaker’s decision-making process to support her.”
The Examiner noted in 2022, Sohn donated $550 to Sen. Raphael Warnock’s (D-Ga.) campaign, $200 to Sen Michael Bennett’s (D-Colo.) campaign, and $100 each to Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto’s (D-Nev.) and Sen. John Fetterman’s (D-Penn.) campaigns.
Can a $100 campaign donation buy a senator’s confirmation vote? One would certainly like to hope not otherwise, our country is in big trouble — not that their votes should be for sale anyways.
While Sohn’s donations were apparently not illegal, it is not a good look to contribute to the campaigns of senators who will be voting on your nomination. Just wait until the Senate confirms or rejects your nomination and avoid the questions.