Tom Zawistowski
Role at the time: We The People Convention president
Defended or excused
Statement summary
Zawistowski backed the exemption, arguing that prior-consent rules make low-cost political outreach harder for small volunteer groups and that the waiver should apply regardless of viewpoint.
“We're asking the FCC to stand up for free political speech and for the small, volunteer-driven organizations that keep our democracy working.”
Read the official statement (opens in a new tab)We The People Convention backs Club for Growth petition at the FCCOctober 19 press release, quotation attributed to Tom Zawistowski; separate from the October 9 correspondence reproduced below.
The release announces reply comments supporting the petition and calls for the same relief for all noncommercial political speakers. The release cites call limits, caller identification and opt-outs as safeguards.
Why we used this label
Relative to the proposed exemption, Zawistowski expressly supports granting it and argues that it would protect grassroots political speech.