President Donald Trump’s selection of Danielle Thumann Severs to fill one of the two open seats on the Federal Communications Commission is being parsed by communications attorneys who deal with the FCC.
Thumann Severs, senior counsel to Chairman Brendan Carr, was nominated Friday. If she is confirmed by the Senate, the balance of the FCC would be three Republicans and one Democrat, Anna Gomez, unless the administration also nominates someone to fill the remaining vacant seat.
Several attorneys told us they doubt Thumann Severs’ addition will likely significantly affect FCC policies at the outset, expecting that her views on key issues align with Carr’s.
“Nominating a third Republican is mostly an insurance policy to ensure a continuous Republican majority at the FCC should one of the existing Republican commissioners suddenly depart or become incapacitated,” said Scott Flick, a partner at Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman LLP.
The news also puts fresh attention on the status of Democrat Anna Gomez has been a vocal critic of the Trump administration. She has spoken openly about the possibility of being removed for that reason, especially in light of the Supreme Court’s decision in the Trump vs. Slaughter case.
It’s not clear whether Thumann Sever’s nomination affects the chances of Trump firing Gomez. The commission needs a quorum of three to do its work. If Thumann Severs is confirmed, theoretically Trump could fire Gomez and the FCC could function with three Republicans and two open seats.
The commission has been operating with three members since 2025, when Olivia Trusty was appointed to succeed Nathan Simington.
As for the latest development, John Garziglia, retired partner with Womble Bond and Dickinson, says the fact that a Republican appointee is not being paired with a Democrat appointee is telling, “both from the perspective of bipartisanship as well as the practical considerations of the Senate confirmation process,” Garziglia said.
Frank Montero, co-managing partner at Fletcher, Heald & Hildreth, said he doubts the Senate will confirm Thumann Severs without a balancing Democrat being nominated.
“So even though a full commission is not the objective, it may be the result. Or at least until Commissioner Gomez leaves or is removed,” Montero told Radio World in an email.
Thumann Severs’ move from being a senior counsel to commissioner would not be unusual. In fact, Carr served as the agency’s general counsel before being elevated.
But in recent decades nominees have often been congressional staffers. A president often will use the nomination process to curry favor with specific members of Congress by nominating their favored staffers to the FCC.
Several attorneys who commented to Radio World were complimentary of Thumann Severs.
Radio World contributor Gregg Skall is a partner at Telecommunications Law Professionals, where Thumann Severs interned.
“My colleagues at TLP had the pleasure of working with Danielle when she was a summer associate at TLP, and we’ve watched her career since with a lot of pride. Obviously, she’s been a standout everywhere since,” he said.
“Between her time in Chairman Carr’s office and her years on the industry side, she brings a rare combination. She understands both how the commission’s rules are written and how they get implemented in the field. I think she’ll be an outstanding commissioner.”
