WASHINGTON, D.C. — It was only a matter of time. A group of U.S. House of Representatives Energy and Commerce Committee Democrats have launched an investigation into FCC Chairman Brendan Carr’s “attacks on the First Amendment” and what they call “his weaponization of the independent agency.”
They did so in an eight-page letter sent to the head of the Commission from full House E&C Committee Ranking Member Frank Pallone Jr. (D-N.J.), Communications and Technology Subcommittee Ranking Member Doris Matsui (D-Calif.), and Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee Ranking Member Yvette D. Clarke (D-N.Y.).
In the letter, the three Democrats express their “deep concern” over actions Carr has made “to target and intimidate news organizations and broadcasters in violation of the First Amendment.”
For these House Democrats, “These troubling actions assault the Constitutionally protected freedom of the press and violate the FCC’s statutory prohibition against engaging in censorship.”
The trio of House Democrats in the E&C Committee also assail Carr for “directing FCC staff to devote time and resources to bogus investigations,” which would constitute “a violation of the law, gross mismanagement, extreme waste of funds, and an abuse of authority.”
That’s why Pallone, Matsui and Clarke are sharing a copy of the letter sent to Carr with the FCC’s Office of Inspector General, recommending that the OIG open an investigation.
And, they’re particularly biting in their criticism of Carr. “Your partisan goals are transparent and inappropriate, particularly given your previous experience as a
FCC General Counsel,” they said in the letter. “You have launched sham investigations into entities disfavored by President Trump, Elon Musk, and the Republican Party to censor journalists and news coverage.”
The trio of Democrats even go so far as to condemn Carr for some actions they assert “are aligned with a private lawsuit in which President Trump in his personal capacity is seeking extensive monetary damage from the same entities you are targeting.”
The “most concerning action to date” is Carr’s reinstatement of an investigation into CBS for alleged “news distortion” involving an interview with former Vice President Kamala Harris ahead of the 2024 U.S. presidential election. Still, they take issue with investigations into ABC and NBC while not considering the Media and Democracy Project’s quest to deny FOX Television Stations a license renewal for WTXF-29 in Philadelphia, on the grounds that it aired false and misleading content associated with the 2020 U.S. presidential election.
The trio of Democrats also criticize Carr for looking into Audacy Inc.’s KCBS Radio in San Francisco for alleged interference of an Immigration and Customs Enforcement undercover raid; and for investigations into potential underwriting violations at both NPR and PBS.
All of these concerns led Pallone, Matsui and Clarke to seek answers on paper from Carr, with an April 14 deadline. What do they seek? They want Carr to provide “all documents” related to its investigations — something they may not get, as these are ongoing queries. How the FCC responds is debatable.
The House Democrats also seek all communications between Carr and current White House officials and between Carr and other Trump Administration officials that relate to investigations of these or other media entities; and all communications between Carr and third parties related to investigations of these or other media entities.
They also want an explanation and all supporting documents related to Carr’s decision to reinstate the complaints against ABC, CBS, and NBC but not “a similar complaint” against FOX.
Whether the WTXF license renewal complaint is similar is debatable, too.
And, Clarke, Matsui and Pallone want Carr to “specifically describe” his interpretation of the “public interest standard” he frequently cites while sharing the FCC’s plan and authority to enforce his interpretation of the standard.
There’s more: the House Democrats want all personal records related to Carr’s visits to Mar-a-Lago, including detailed receipts of all associated costs borne by the FCC and any ethics advice that was provided related to such travel.
