- Washington Free Beacon - https://freebeacon.com -

Democrat FCC Commissioner Joins Soros Open Society Foundations

Mignon Clyburn

A former Democratic commissioner of the Federal Communications Commission is joining George Soros's Open Society Foundations, the group announced.

Mignon Clyburn, the daughter of Rep. James Clyburn (D., S.C.), will help the group financed by the liberal billionaire advance "social justice."

"We welcome former FCC Commissioner Mignon Clyburn as the latest member of the 2018 class of our Leadership in Government fellows," the group said in a tweet sent Monday. "Learn more about her and the other fellows, all seasoned public servants who are advancing economic and social justice."

Clyburn had served on the FCC since 2009, before stepping down in April.

Politico Pro reported Clyburn would work on "prison phone rate reform" for the Open Society Foundations fellowship, which is worth up to $133,000.

Clyburn was among the more liberal commissioners at the FCC, a staunch advocate for net neutrality and the Lifeline program, a program riddled with fraud and commonly referred to as "Obamaphone."

In 2014 the FCC, then led by Democratic chairman Tom Wheeler, granted a waiver to Obama donor David Grain to allow his company to receive discountsĀ at wireless auctions. Grain began donating to Rep. Clyburn shortly after his daughter was appointed to the FCC in August 2009.

Other Democratic commissioners have landed at more mainstream political think tanks and private firms. Wheeler is now a visiting fellow at the Brookings Institution. Julius Genachowski, a major fundraiser and first FCC chairman for Obama, went to the private equity firm the Carlyle Group.