House Democrats Seek FCC IG Probe Into Chairman Carr

Three senior House Democrats are calling for an Inspector General investigation into Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Chairman Brendan Carr, accusing him of abusing his authority to pressure broadcasters into suspending late-night host Jimmy Kimmel’s show.

Communications and Technology Subcommittee Ranking Member Doris Matsui (D-CA), Energy and Commerce Committee Ranking Member Frank Pallone, Jr. (D-NJ), and Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee Ranking Member Yvette D. Clarke (D-NY) urged FCC Inspector General Fara Damelin to open a probe into what they described as “illegal and unconstitutional censorship.”

The lawmakers allege Carr crossed the line when he appeared on conservative commentator Benny Johnson’s podcast on September 17, where he warned Disney/ABC and its affiliates that the FCC could take action if they did not punish Kimmel for remarks he made on-air.

“We can do this the easy way or the hard way,” Carr reportedly said. “These companies can find ways to change conduct and take action, frankly, on Kimmel, or there’s going to be additional work for the FCC ahead.”

Hours later, ABC announced that Kimmel’s show would be suspended indefinitely. The Democrats said the timing demonstrated Carr’s threats directly influenced the network’s decision.

“The timeline speaks for itself – Chairman Carr publicly threatened the licenses of several broadcasters and directly recommended both the curtailing of protected speech and punishment for protected speech. This is censorship,” the lawmakers wrote.

They further argued that Carr’s actions violate both the Communications Act and the First Amendment, calling it the “most transparent act of illegal and unconstitutional censorship to date.”

The letter also cites Carr’s handling of the Paramount-Skydance merger as another example of what they say is a pattern of abusing his authority to serve political goals.

The Democrats asked the Inspector General to use its authority to examine Carr’s actions and the FCC’s internal policies, warning that the Chairman’s conduct “weaponizes the agency in a way that violates regulated entities’ Constitutional rights and personally benefits the President.”