FCC Chairman Brendan Carr is facing an ethics complaint from the Freedom of the Press Foundation, which accuses him of misusing his authority to target media outlets and advance a partisan agenda. The group filed the complaint with the D.C. Court of Appeals’ Office of Disciplinary Counsel, calling for Carr’s disbarment and alleging “a pattern of egregious misconduct.”
The complaint highlights Carr’s efforts to revive long-dormant “news distortion” cases against CBS, NBC, and ABC, and his involvement in pressuring companies over Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) policies and media mergers, including the Paramount-Skydance deal. The foundation says these actions were politically motivated and intended to punish news organizations critical of former President Donald Trump.
Seth Stern, the group’s advocacy director, has led a campaign against what he calls Carr’s “abuse of office.” In a statement, the foundation said Carr violated legal ethics by using the FCC’s regulatory authority to intimidate journalists, interfere with editorial decisions, and force legal settlements favorable to allies of the Trump administration.
Also cited is Carr’s role in launching a formal FCC investigation into 13 NPR and PBS member stations. The probe seeks to determine whether underwriting announcements crossed the line into commercial advertising, a move seen by critics as an effort to chill public broadcasting. Democratic FCC Commissioner Anna Gomez voiced concern over the inquiry, calling it “another Administration effort to weaponize the power of the FCC.”
While Carr has not publicly responded to the complaint, the charges come amid broader tensions at the FCC over issues of media independence and political influence. The foundation argues that Carr’s actions are incompatible with the impartiality required of both regulators and licensed attorneys, and has asked the disciplinary office to open a formal investigation.