A journalism advocacy group has filed an ethics complaint against Federal Communication Chairman Brendan Carr, arguing that he engaged in “egregious misconduct” by targeting the parent companies of several broadcast networks at the best of President Donald Trump.
The complaint, filed with a legal affairs office within the District of Columbia’s Court of Appeals by the Freedom of the Press Foundation (FPF), complains that Carr exerted undue, politically-motivated pressure on Paramount Global to settle a news distortion lawsuit brought by Trump last year and agree to other concessions involving CBS News in order to win his agency’s approval for Paramount to merger with Skydance Media.
“Everyone from U.S. senators to CBS employees to a dissenting FCC commissioner has said the settlement appears to have been a bribe to grease the wheels for Carr’s FCC to approve the merger,” the FPF said in its complaint. “Even putting Paramount aside, Carr has pursued numerous other frivolous and unconstitutional legal proceedings and threatened more of them in furtherance in his efforts to intimidate broadcast licensees to censor themselves and fall in line with Trump’s agenda.”
An element of Paramount’s merger with Skydance was the FCC’s approval of a transfer of CBS-held broadcast TV licenses between the companies. The FCC declined to act on the matter until Trump’s lawsuit against Paramount was settled and until Carr received assurances from Skydance executives that Paramount will end its diversity (DEI) programs and install an ombudsman to oversee news initiatives at CBS, among other concessions.
The FCC approved the transfer of CBS broadcast licenses from Paramount to Skydance last week, paving the way for the $8 billion merger to close early next month.
Carr has spoken openly about his desire to unwind DEI programs at media companies that hold broadcast licenses. In news interviews, the chairman said he would weigh actions that required the approval of the FCC on the basis of a company’s commitment to DEI programs.
“Any businesses that are looking for FCC approval, I would encourage them to get busy ending any sort of their invidious forms of DEI discrimination,” Carr said in an interview with Bloomberg in March.
Since then, a number of companies have ended or significantly walked back their public commitments to DEI programs, including wireless provider T-Mobile and local TV broadcaster Nexstar.
Carr has also targeted DEI programs at Comcast, the parent company of NBC, and ABC parent Walt Disney Company. His actions have drawn criticism from legal and industry experts and at least one fellow FCC commissioner over the past few months.
“Carr’s actions brazenly violate legal and ethical standards that govern the practice of law and public officials, undermining the First Amendment, the FCC’s credibility and the laws he is trusted to administer,” the FPF said in its complaint. “His abuse of his office to force an unwarranted settlement of a private lawsuit, is shameful and warrants disbarment.”
The FPF is seeking Carr’s disbarment, which would involve the revocation of his license to practice law. It would not impact his ability to continue serving as FCC chairman, but could complicate his efforts to seek work as an attorney when his time with the agency ends. He worked in private practice for several years prior to joining the FCC in the early 2000s.
