FCC Officials Took Gifts From Paramount While It Had Business Before Them

Key Points:

• FCC Commissioners Brendan Carr and Olivia Trusty accepted expensive Kennedy Center gala tickets from Paramount, a company regulated by the FCC and involved in major merger deals requiring FCC approval, raising serious conflict of interest concerns according to ethics experts.
• The $110 billion Paramount-Skydance and Warner Bros. Discovery merger, which would create a media giant controlling numerous major networks and streaming services, faces opposition from industry figures, multiple states, and international regulators amid ongoing FCC scrutiny.
• Federal ethics rules prohibit officials from accepting gifts from entities they regulate or that seek official action; experts argue the commissioners' acceptance of costly gifts compromises FCC impartiality and recommend recusal from merger decisions.
• The FCC currently has only three commissioners, and recusals could leave the agency unable to vote on the merger, potentially allowing Chair Carr to delegate approval to staff, a move likely to face legal challenges.
• Despite longstanding FCC attendance at the gala, ethics authorities and watchdogs criticize the practice as undermining public trust and government integrity, with calls for investigations into possible violations of federal ethics laws.