Press freedom group files ethics complaint against FCC chair

Source: The Hill

07/29/25 10:46 AM ET


The Freedom of the Press Foundation has filed an ethics complaint against Brendan Carr, the chairman of the FCC, arguing the close of ally of President Trump has “engaged in egregious misconduct,” and calling for him to be disbarred.

In the organization’s complaint, filed with the District of Columbia Court of Appeals’ Office of Disciplinary Counsel on Monday, cites Carr’s public statements and actions in the weeks leading up to the agency’s recent approval of the Paramount, Skydance merger.

“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 complaint reads. “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.”

The organization’s complaint was first reported in journalist Oliver Darcy’s media newsletter Status.

Read more: https://thehill.com/homenews/media/5425320-press-freedom-fcc-ethics-complaint/