Michael O’Rielly, whose career as a public servant in Washington spanned more than three decades and included service in the U.S. House of Representatives, U.S. Senate, and as an FCC Commissioner, will join The Media Institute as a Senior Fellow, effective April 1. The Media Institute is a nonprofit foundation working to advance sound communications policy, freedom of speech, and excellence in journalism. He served as an FCC Commissioner from 2013 through 2020.
O’Rielly will also become a member of the First Amendment Advisory Council, the Institute’s flagship advisory body comprising leading First Amendment scholars and practitioners.
O’Rielly is currently a Visiting Fellow at the Hudson Institute’s Center for the Economics of the Internet, and Principal at MPORielly Consulting, LLC.
Before joining the FCC, O’Rielly held a variety of leading staff positions during 20 years on Capitol Hill, ending as Policy Advisor in the Office of the Senate Republican Whip, then led by Senator John Cornyn (R-TX). Early in his career, O’Rielly was a Professional Staff Member on the House Energy and Commerce Committee.
During his FCC tenure, O’Rielly was known for his dedication to streamlining the regulatory process, eliminating outdated regulations, promoting competition and innovation, and defending the First Amendment, according to The Media Institute.
“Michael O’Rielly shares the same values we hold dear: sound communications policy, a competitive media industry, and a strong First Amendment,” said Institute President Richard Kaplar. “We are truly honored and gratified to welcome him as a Senior Fellow of the Institute and as a member of our First Amendment Advisory Council. With his insightful perspectives on media and telecom policy and his love of the First Amendment, Commissioner Mike O’Rielly is a highly respected voice in the public policy arena.”
O’Rielly called the news “a great honor. Hopefully, my record shows that I welcome the opportunity, even when not easy or popular, to push back against anyone seeking to denigrate, malign, or infringe upon our cherished rights preserved by the U.S. Constitution.”
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