Blumenthal Probes FCC’s ‘Intrusive Investigations’ Into Media Firms

WASHINGTON, March 17, 2025 – Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., launched a congressional inquiry Thursday into what he described as the Federal Communication Commission’s politically motivated investigations into media broadcasters.

Blumenthal wrote to the Acting Bureau Chiefs of the FCC’s Media and Enforcement Bureaus, Patrick Webre and Erin Boone, raising concerns that the FCC, under Chairman Brendan Carr, has been retaliating against news organizations critical of President Donald Trump. 

“The [FCC’s] recent actions appear to adopt ahistorical interpretations of longstanding legal standards and may be designed to intimidate newsrooms to chill future coverage potentially critical of President Trump,” Blumenthal wrote.

His letter outlined eight FCC investigations launched in early 2025, all of which he argued target media organizations that have drawn Trump’s ire. 

These include reopening “news distortion” probes against ABC, CBS, and NBC, as well as an investigation into a 60 Minutes interview featuring former Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris.

Under Carr’s leadership, the FCC has also taken action against Comcast and NBCUniversal, requesting that the Enforcement Bureau investigate whether the company’s diversity hiring efforts violated the FCC’s non-discrimination rules. 

The FCC has additionally escalated scrutiny of public broadcasters NPR and PBS, alleging that their underwriting practices violated FCC rules for noncommercial broadcasters.

“Each of these actions single out media broadcasters that faced the wrath of President Trump during his Presidential campaign,” Blumenthal wrote. 

The lawmaker alleged the FCC was not being evenhanded.

“This exclusive targeting to the apparent benefit of the President is further reflected in the fact that other media broadcasters, particularly allies of the President, have not faced any similar scrutiny,” Blumenthal said, referencing that Carr did not reinstate a news distortion complaint, closed in January, against a Fox TV station.

“Under the new standard… set by Chair Carr, every newsroom, affiliate group, and broadcaster across the country faces the possibility of burdensome investigations, fines, and even the revocation of licenses for disfavored speech or a change in political winds,” Blumenthal wrote. “They will pay a price if the[y]... do not conform to President Trump’s preferred political narratives.”

The inquiry requested extensive documentation from the FCC regarding its enforcement decisions, including internal communications, legal justifications, and precedents for its actions. The FCC has until March 26, 2025 to respond.

Blumenthal’s inquiry adds to mounting criticism of Carr’s leadership, which has already drawn sharp rebukes from former FCC chairmen, sitting commissioners, House Democrats, and free press advocates. Critics argue that Carr’s investigations implicitly raise First Amendment concerns. 

In response, Democrats have moved to rein in the FCC’s authority, introducing legislation last Monday in both the House and Senate to prevent the FCC from penalizing broadcasters over editorial content.

In a Feb. 21 interview with Policyband, Carr responded to the criticism.

“What I've said is we are returning to an even-handed treatment for everybody and the people that politically were benefiting from the weaponization of the government now feel like they're getting discriminated against when the reality is they're just getting even-handed treatment,” he said.