EXCLUSIVE: Outgoing FCC Commissioner Endorses Top Aide To Replace Him

Outgoing Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Commissioner Nathan Simington endorsed his chief of staff, Gavin Wax, to take the seat he will soon vacate.

Simington, who has remained in office since his term expired last June, praised Wax’s readiness to step into the role. Wax, 31, previously served as president of the New York Young Republican Club and has been Simington’s top aide since April.

If appointed, Wax would become the youngest FCC commissioner ever confirmed; his confirmation would restore the FCC’s quorum and give Republicans a 2-1 edge, while two other seats — including President Donald Trump’s pending GOP pick Olivia Trusty and an as-yet-unnamed Democratic nominee — await Senate confirmation.

“I think the world of Gavin,” Simington told the 🏢Daily Caller News Foundation Saturday. “I was not surprised to hear that the president’s interested in him. Obviously this is the president’s call and it’s not my job to tell the president who to nominate, but I would certainly not be unhappy. In fact, I’d be very happy to see Mr. Wax on.”

Simington highlighted Wax’s rapid mastery of telecom policy and emphasized their shared vision for bolstering the financial sustainability of free, over-the-air broadcasting, which Simington described as crucial for local journalism and emergency weather alerts nationwide.

“Gavin and I have spent a great deal of time talking about the necessity of maintaining the financial viability of over-the-air broadcast,” Simington explained to the DCNF. “It’s a vital source of local journalism and local meteorology for most of the country, and there’s no clear replacement if it goes away.”

He also emphasized Wax’s commitment to First Amendment principles, calling him a “big free speech guy” and noting that Trump “has a long history of smart and courageous outside-the-box picks that are not drawn from the usual suspects.”