Two Former FCC Chairs Defend Agency’s Fine Powers
The Supreme Court will hear arguments on the issue on April 21.
WASHINGTON, March 30, 2026 – Two former heads of the Federal Communications Commission are asking the Supreme Court to preserve the agency’s ability to levy fines.
The major mobile carriers are arguing the agency’s process ran afoul of the U.S. Constitution by denying them a jury trial after a set of 2024 fines. Federal courts have ruled differently on the issue, and the Supreme Court is considering the case to resolve the split.
Former FCC chairmen Reed Hundt and Tom Wheeler, both Democrats, joined six consumer groups in a Friday filing arguing in favor of preserving the forfeiture scheme.
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