The Freedom of the Press Foundation has filed a disciplinary complaint letter against Brendan Carr, accusing the Federal Communications Commission chair of violating legal ethics rules in what the nonprofit watchdog describes as a politically motivated campaign to pressure news organizations and benefit President Trump.
In a letter submitted Monday night to the District of Columbia Bar’s disciplinary council and obtained by Oliver Darcy’s newsletter Status, the nonpartisan group alleges Carr abused his authority as a licensed attorney and federal official to intimidate media outlets, misrepresent the law, and enable what it called a “shakedown” of Paramount Global.
The complaint centers on Carr’s role in the FCC’s approval of the $8 billion merger between Paramount and Skydance Media, which followed a controversial $16 million settlement paid by Paramount to Trump over the “60 Minutes” lawsuit. Carr had revived an FCC inquiry into that interview months earlier.
“Carr used the FCC as a tool to pressure Paramount into settling a meritless lawsuit with Trump, paving the way for the merger’s approval,” the complaint reads. “This conduct violates core ethical rules governing honesty, misuse of office, and interference with justice.”
The filing accuses Carr of violating several professional conduct rules, including those prohibiting dishonesty, prejudicial conduct, and abuse of public office for political gain. It cites Carr’s public threats toward MSNBC, revived investigations into ABC and NBC News, and probes into public broadcasting and immigration-related reporting.
Carr has previously vowed to push the president’s agenda as FCC chair. The foundation argues that Carr’s actions have “turned the FCC into a censoring machine” in service of that agenda.
The D.C. bar has not commented on the complaint, and Carr has not publicly responded. If the bar agrees to pursue the matter, it could result in sanctions up to disbarment.
The Freedom of the Press Foundation promotes public-interest journalism with a focus on government transparency and press freedom, works to protect journalists and whistleblowers, provides security training for newsrooms and advocates for legal reforms. Its board has included prominent members such as Edward Snowden, Glenn Greenwald and Laura Poitras.
