On November 20, 2025, Democracy Forward filed a lawsuit against the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to compel the release of public records related to efforts by senior officials, including FCC Chairman Brendan Carr, to use the agency’s licensing and enforcement powers to police and limit speech and influence what the public can watch and hear.
In September, Democracy Forward submitted a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request seeking communications, calendar entries, and messages sent or received by Chairman Carr and senior leadership about whether key decisions and conversations occurred behind closed doors, and may implicate press freedom, political influence, and government retaliation against protected speech. The records were sought after public comments by Chairman Carr suggested that the agency could consider punitive action against broadcast entities if they continued to air commentary critical of the Trump-Vance administration, citing, as one public example, remarks made by television host Jimmy Kimmel.
While the FCC acknowledged receiving the requests, it has since failed to take the legally required next steps, provide responsive records, or issue a determination, leaving the public entirely in the dark.
The complaint requests that the court order the FCC to comply with the FOIA process and release the requested records as required by law.The case is Democracy Forward Foundation v. Federal Communications Commission.
Timeline
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We filed a FOIA request with the FCC seeking information on efforts to limit speech and influence what media the public can consume.
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Due to noncompliance with the FOIA, Democracy Forward filed a lawsuit to compel the release of the requested information.
