ProPublica: FCC Officials Accepted Gifts From Paramount While Agency Scrutinized Deals
Ethics experts say the gifts could create conflict concerns as the FCC weighs Paramount Skydance transactions worth $110 billion.
- A ProPublica report released Wednesday reveals FCC Chair Brendan Carr and Federal Communications Commissioner Olivia Trusty accepted Kennedy Center Honors tickets from Paramount worth thousands of dollars, with Trusty's valued at $12,000 and Carr seated in a private skybox where seats sold for $125,000 each.
- Paramount filed for FCC approval of its $8 billion Skydance merger in September 2024, later expanding to a $110 billion Warner Bros. Discovery deal; the December 2025 gala occurred as Paramount launched its hostile takeover bid hours after the event.
- Carr's financial statements reveal he accepted Kennedy Center tickets at least seven times since 2017, totaling over $63,000 in gifts, while seven of 10 commissioners serving since 2016 accepted more than $260,000 combined from CBS or its parent company.
- Four ethics experts told ProPublica that Carr and Trusty should recuse themselves from any merger vote, as federal rules ban such gifts from regulated entities; any recusal could prevent the FCC from reaching the three-commissioner quorum required for decisions.
- The $110 billion consolidation would unite Paramount+, HBO Max, CBS and CNN under one company, yet legal experts warn ethics violations could invalidate FCC approval; more than 5,000 entertainment workers and 12 Democratic states have filed lawsuits opposing the deal.
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ProPublica: FCC officials accepted gifts from Paramount while agency scrutinized deals
The CBS Building in New York City. (Photo via Wikimedia Commons, Graphic by The Desk) By: Corey G. Johnson, ProPublica The rich and famous who filed into the Kennedy Center’s opera house in December were there to enjoy one of the nation’s most exclusive celebrations of the performing arts: the center’s annual honors gala. The black-tie event, hosted by President Donald Trump, prioritized tickets to people who donated more than $75,000 to the cen…
FCC Officials Took Paramount's Pricey Gifts While Company Sought Deal Approval
Reprinted with permission from ProPublicaThe rich and famous who filed into the Kennedy Center’s opera house in December were there to enjoy one of the nation’s most exclusive celebrations of the performing arts: the center’s annual honors gala.The black-tie event, hosted by President Donald Trump, prioritized tickets to people who donated more than $75,000 to the center. This year, it feted Hollywood icon Sylvester Stallone, the legendary glam …
Brendan Carr received thousands in gifts from Paramount before approving mergers
Nothing to FCC here—just Brendan Carr accepting thousands of dollars’ worth of gifts from Paramount ahead of approving its mergers. According to a new report from ProPublica, FCC chair Carr accepted about $63,000 worth of gifts from Paramount since joining the commission in 2017. Since then, Carr has announced the approval of Skydance’s acquisition of Paramount, and has had involvement with the ongoing merger of Paramount Skydance and Warner Bro…
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