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Kimmelman served as vice president for Federal and International Affairs at [[Consumers Union]], staying with the organization for 14 years. While at Consumers Union, Kimmelman was the lead consumer advocate for the [[Telecommunications Act of 1996]].<ref>{{cite web |url= http://www.outfoxed.org/FeaturedInterviewees.php |title=OUTFOXED: Featured Interviewees |work=outfoxed.org |access-date=10 July 2013}}</ref>
Kimmelman served as vice president for Federal and International Affairs at [[Consumers Union]], staying with the organization for 14 years. While at Consumers Union, Kimmelman was the lead consumer advocate for the [[Telecommunications Act of 1996]].<ref>{{cite web |url= http://www.outfoxed.org/FeaturedInterviewees.php |title=OUTFOXED: Featured Interviewees |work=outfoxed.org |access-date=10 July 2013}}</ref>


On January 15, 2014, [[Public Knowledge]] announced that Kimmelman was appointed as their President and Chief Executive Officer.<ref>{{cite web|title=Public Knowledge Appoints Gene Kimmelman as New President and CEO|url=http://publicknowledge.org/public-knowledge-appoints-gene-kimmelman-new-presi|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140116194237/http://publicknowledge.org/public-knowledge-appoints-gene-kimmelman-new-presi|archive-date=2014-01-16|access-date=2014-07-21|publisher=Public Knowledge}}</ref> Kimmelman left the organization in 2021 to join the [[United States Department of Justice|Department of Justice]] as a senior advisor.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|date=2021-01-21|title=Senior Advisor Gene Kimmelman Resigns from Public Knowledge to Join Justice Department|url=https://publicknowledge.org/senior-advisor-gene-kimmelman-resigns-from-public-knowledge-to-join-justice-department/|access-date=2021-12-14|website=Public Knowledge|language=en-US}}</ref> In this role, Kimmelman worked with FCC Chair [[Tom Wheeler]] on a proposal for a digital platform agency that would be responsible for tech industry regulation.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Dayen|first=David|date=2020-10-26|title=Google’s Guardians|url=https://prospect.org/api/content/b41d9554-156f-11eb-9180-1244d5f7c7c6/|access-date=2022-01-14|website=The American Prospect|language=en-us}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|date=2020-08-20|title=New Digital Realities; New Oversight Solutions|url=https://shorensteincenter.org/new-digital-realities-tom-wheeler-phil-verveer-gene-kimmelman/|access-date=2022-01-14|website=Shorenstein Center|language=en-US}}</ref>
On January 15, 2014, [[Public Knowledge]] announced that Kimmelman was appointed as their President and Chief Executive Officer.<ref>{{cite web|title=Public Knowledge Appoints Gene Kimmelman as New President and CEO|url=http://publicknowledge.org/public-knowledge-appoints-gene-kimmelman-new-presi|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140116194237/http://publicknowledge.org/public-knowledge-appoints-gene-kimmelman-new-presi|archive-date=2014-01-16|access-date=2014-07-21|publisher=Public Knowledge}}</ref> Kimmelman left the organization in 2021 to join the [[United States Department of Justice|Department of Justice]] as a senior advisor.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|date=2021-01-21|title=Senior Advisor Gene Kimmelman Resigns from Public Knowledge to Join Justice Department|url=https://publicknowledge.org/senior-advisor-gene-kimmelman-resigns-from-public-knowledge-to-join-justice-department/|access-date=2021-12-14|website=Public Knowledge|language=en-US}}</ref> In this role, Kimmelman worked with FCC Chair [[Tom Wheeler]] on a proposal for a digital platform agency that would be responsible for tech industry regulation.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Dayen|first=David|date=2020-10-26|title=Google’s Guardians|url=https://prospect.org/api/content/b41d9554-156f-11eb-9180-1244d5f7c7c6/|access-date=2022-01-14|website=The American Prospect|language=en-us}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|date=2020-08-20|title=New Digital Realities; New Oversight Solutions|url=https://shorensteincenter.org/new-digital-realities-tom-wheeler-phil-verveer-gene-kimmelman/|access-date=2022-01-14|website=Shorenstein Center|language=en-US}}</ref> Kimmelman has argued that [[Facebook]] has harmed consumers by facilitating the dissemination of digital misinformation.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2020-10-23|title=Unfriending Facebook: What we can do about the social media giant’s dominance|url=https://www.seattletimes.com/opinion/unfriending-facebook-what-we-can-do-about-the-social-media-giants-dominance/|access-date=2022-01-14|website=The Seattle Times|language=en-US}}</ref>


== Government career ==
== Government career ==

Revision as of 03:02, 14 January 2022

Gene Kimmelman
Personal details
Born
Eugene I. Kimmelman

Born 1954 or 1955 (age 69–70)
Political partyDemocratic Party
SpouseCaroline Chambers
EducationBrown University (B.A.)
University of Virginia (J.D.)

Eugene I. Kimmelman is an American attorney and consumer protection advocate who specializes in antitrust law. Since January 2021, Kimmelman has served as a senior advisor in the Department of Justice.[1] Kimmelman was formerly the President and Chief Executive Officer of Public Knowledge, a public advocacy group. During his decades in consumer advocacy, Kimmelman worked at a variety of organizations, including the Consumers Union, the Consumer Federation of America, and Public Citizen.

Early life and education

Eugene I. Kimmelman was born to Max Kimmelman, a department head for Burlington Industries in Rockwood, Tennessee, and Mira Kimmelman a religious studies teacher at the Beth El Center in Oak Ridge, Tennessee.[2] His brother, Louis "Benno" Kimmelman, was an attorney at Sidley Austin.[3][4]

Kimmelman received his bachelor's degree (A.B.) from Brown University in 1977.[5] In 1981, he graduated from the University of Virginia School of Law with a Juris Doctor (J.D.) degree.[6][5] Kimmelman participated in the Fulbright Program and attended the University of Copenhagen.[6][7]

Consumer advocacy

Kimmelman began his public advocacy career at Public Citizen, a consumer watchdog group founded by Ralph Nader. Kimmelman was an attorney at Public Citizen's Congress Watch[6] before joining the Consumer Federation of America (CFA), where he was an attorney for ten years.

According to The New York Times, Kimmelman was known in consumer advocacy circles for his pragmatic approach to politics, leading to some critics on the left to accuse him of being "too willing to team up with moneyed interests". Kimmelman's approach was criticized by Nader, described as a former mentor, who said he became a "hybrid" consumer advocate.[8]

Kimmelman served as vice president for Federal and International Affairs at Consumers Union, staying with the organization for 14 years. While at Consumers Union, Kimmelman was the lead consumer advocate for the Telecommunications Act of 1996.[9]

On January 15, 2014, Public Knowledge announced that Kimmelman was appointed as their President and Chief Executive Officer.[10] Kimmelman left the organization in 2021 to join the Department of Justice as a senior advisor.[1] In this role, Kimmelman worked with FCC Chair Tom Wheeler on a proposal for a digital platform agency that would be responsible for tech industry regulation.[11][12] Kimmelman has argued that Facebook has harmed consumers by facilitating the dissemination of digital misinformation.[13]

Government career

Kimmelman began his career in government at the United States Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Antitrust, Competition Policy and Consumer Rights, where he was chief counsel for two years.[6]

Obama Administration

In 2009, he joined the Department of Justice Antitrust Division when Christine Varney chose Kimmelman as a Chief Counsel. Kimmelman was noted for overseeing the merger of Ticketmaster and Livenation, a deal which "generated protests from lawmakers and consumer groups" according to The Washington Post.[14][15][16] While at the Antitrust Division, Kimmelman helped lead the approval of the Comcast-NBC merger.[14]

During this period, Kimmelman supported bringing Apple Inc. to court over price-fixing of ebooks and opposed the attempted purchase of T-Mobile USA by AT&T. Kimmelman advocated that cell phone users should proportionally subsidize government communications infrastructure to non-cellphone users, so that services to low-income regions could be improved.[17][14][18][19]

Biden Administration

In November 2020, Kimmelman was named a volunteer member of the Joe Biden presidential transition's Agency Review Team to support transition efforts related to the United States Department of Justice.[20] Kimmelman was reportedly considered for a deputy position within the Antitrust Division.[21] In January 2021, resigned from his role at Public Knowledge to become a senior advisor in the Department of Justice.[1]

Personal life and activities

In 1991, at the age of 36, Kimmelman married Caroline Chambers, a political staffer.[2] Kimmelman is a senior fellow at the University of Colorado Law School.[6] Kimmelman was a contributor at the Federalist Society, having participated in events at the organization in both 2014 and 2019.[22]

Selected works

  • Kimmelman, Gene (June 21, 2012), Antitrust Enforcement and Media Industries: Competition and Beyond (PDF), Washington D.C.: United States Department of Justice

References

  1. ^ a b c "Senior Advisor Gene Kimmelman Resigns from Public Knowledge to Join Justice Department". Public Knowledge. 2021-01-21. Retrieved 2021-12-14.
  2. ^ a b "Caroline Moore Chambers Is Wed". The New York Times. 1991-09-23. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2021-12-13.
  3. ^ "Services today for Holocaust survivor, Kimmelman". Knox TN Today. 2019-04-19. Retrieved 2022-01-14.
  4. ^ "Services today for Holocaust survivor, Kimmelman". Knox TN Today. 2019-04-19. Retrieved 2022-01-14.
  5. ^ a b "BULLETIN 1 7 - GW Law - The George Washington University" (PDF). George Washington University. August 2017.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  6. ^ a b c d e "Gene Kimmelman". New America Foundation. Retrieved July 10, 2013.
  7. ^ "Antitrust Division Senior Leadership Named". www.justice.gov. 2009-04-22. Retrieved 2022-01-12.
  8. ^ Andrews, Edmund L. (1992-09-28). "THE MEDIA BUSINESS; Cable Bill Advocate Divides and Conquers". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2022-01-14.
  9. ^ "OUTFOXED: Featured Interviewees". outfoxed.org. Retrieved 10 July 2013.
  10. ^ "Public Knowledge Appoints Gene Kimmelman as New President and CEO". Public Knowledge. Archived from the original on 2014-01-16. Retrieved 2014-07-21.
  11. ^ Dayen, David (2020-10-26). "Google's Guardians". The American Prospect. Retrieved 2022-01-14.
  12. ^ "New Digital Realities; New Oversight Solutions". Shorenstein Center. 2020-08-20. Retrieved 2022-01-14.
  13. ^ "Unfriending Facebook: What we can do about the social media giant's dominance". The Seattle Times. 2020-10-23. Retrieved 2022-01-14.
  14. ^ a b c Kang, Cecilia (9 July 2012). "Obama's 'secret weapon' on antitrust leaves Justice - Washington Post". articles.washingtonpost.com. Archived from the original on 10 July 2013. Retrieved July 10, 2013.
  15. ^ Buskirk, Eliot Van (25 January 2010). "DOJ Approves Modified Ticketmaster, Live Nation Merger | Wired Business". wired.com. Retrieved 10 July 2013.
  16. ^ Chmielewski, Dawn C; Fritz, Ben; Lewis, Randy (2013). "Ticketmaster-Live Nation merger gets Justice Department's approval - Los Angeles Times". articles.latimes.com. Retrieved 10 July 2013.
  17. ^ Ho, David (Dec 14, 2002). "Cell phone users will pay a bit more". Sunday Free Lance-Star.
  18. ^ "USDOJ: Antitrust Division U.S. v. Apple, Inc., Hachette Book Group, Inc., et al". justice.gov. 10 July 2013. Retrieved 10 July 2013.
  19. ^ Kaiser, Tiffany (10 July 2013). "DailyTech - Judge Finds Apple Guilty of E-Book Price Fixing". DailyTech. Retrieved 10 July 2013.
  20. ^ "Agency Review Teams". President-Elect Joe Biden. Retrieved 10 November 2020.
  21. ^ Dayen, David; Grim, Ryan (2021-01-18). "Big Tech Critics Alarmed at Direction of Biden Antitrust Personnel". The Intercept. Retrieved 2022-01-12.
  22. ^ "Prof. Gene Kimmelman". fedsoc.org. Retrieved 2022-01-12.
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