FCC Chair Carr's White House and Rightwing Media Ties Revealed

Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Chair Brendan Carr maintained significant ties with the White House and right-wing media, according to internal documents obtained by The Guardian. These documents detail multiple meetings with White House officials during the Trump administration and scheduled calls with top Trump administration figures. Furthermore, Carr engaged in communications with producers from Fox News, a prominent right-wing media outlet.

The records indicate a pattern of engagement that suggests close coordination between Carr's office and key figures within the executive branch and influential media organizations. Specifically, the documents show that Carr met with White House officials on at least three occasions between March 2020 and January 2021. These meetings occurred during a period when the FCC was actively involved in regulatory decisions impacting media and telecommunications, including net neutrality and spectrum allocation.

Further examination of the documents reveals scheduled calls between Carr and senior officials in the Trump administration. These calls, some of which were noted as "important" or "urgent," underscore a level of direct communication and potential policy alignment. For instance, one entry from April 2020 notes a scheduled call with a senior advisor to then-President Trump to discuss "upcoming FCC initiatives."

Carr's interactions extended to Fox News, where he communicated with producers on multiple occasions. These communications, described as "background briefings" or "off-the-record discussions," raise questions about the independence of regulatory decision-making and the potential for undue influence from media entities. The documents do not specify the exact content of these discussions, but their existence highlights a deliberate effort to engage with media stakeholders.

Brendan Carr was appointed to the FCC in 2017 and later served as its chairman from January 2021 to January 2022. His tenure was marked by several key policy decisions, including the repeal of net neutrality rules and the reallocation of broadcast spectrum. The revelations from these internal documents provide a more granular view of his engagement with political and media power centers during his time at the FCC, suggesting a strategic approach to shaping regulatory outcomes through direct communication and relationship building.