Sole Democratic FCC commissioner warns Disney it’s a ‘target’ of censorship campaign
The article centers Democratic FCC commissioner Anna Gomez's accusations of 'censorship' and 'weaponization' of regulatory authority against the Trump administration's FCC chair, using her charged language ("assault on the First Amendment," "campaign of censorship") without significant counterpoint or context from Carr or FCC leadership.
Primary voices: elected official, state or recognized government, media outlet
- This article does not address FCC Chair Brendan Carr's specific rationale or legal justification for the investigations into Disney/ABC.
- This article does not provide analysis of whether the investigated conduct (equal-time violations, news distortion, DEI policies) has precedent in FCC enforcement history or merit to the complaints.
- This article does not include perspectives from media law experts on whether these regulatory actions constitute partisan weaponization or legitimate oversight.
Framing may shift if any of the FCC investigations reach enforcement conclusions or judicial review, which could validate or undermine Gomez's censorship claims.
Government-sourcedCharged languageDissenting framing
Anna Gomez, the only Democrat commissioner on the board chaired by Brendan Carr, sent the letter as Disney and ABC are under investigation at the direction of Carr for The View possibly violating the equal time rule.
“What Disney and ABC are facing is not a series of coincidental regulatory actions but a sustained, coordinated campaign of censorship and control, carried out through the weaponization of the FCC’s authority as a federal regulator and aimed at pressuring a free and independent press and all media into submission,” Gomez said.
In her letter, Gomez said the FCC’s reprimanding of Disney is the “most documented” censorship campaign, laying out a series of events dating back to 2024 when ABC agreed to pay $15 million to settle a defamation lawsuit brought on by President Donald Trump.
Gomez said the defamation settlement bought Disney time, not peace, and that the company cannot “buy the Administration’s favor.”
She also lists the FCC’s decision to restart an investigation into the company over allegations it violated the commission’s news distortion policy when broadcasting the presidential debate between Trump and then-Vice President Kamala Harris.
“It is unclear to what degree this FCC has even seriously pursued that complaint, and I suspect there be no end in sight for that investigation because the process is the punishment and keeping it serves that goal,” she said of the distortion complaint.
Gomez went on to cite Carr’s FCC investigation into Disney and ABC’s diversity, equity, and inclusion policies, as well as “its campaign against ABC by targeting Jimmy Kimmel” as further examples of a so-called censorship campaign.
Carr publicly criticized the late-night host for remarks made about the killing of Turning Point USA co-founder Charlie Kirk, which was followed by Kimmel’s show being removed from the air for several days before it was reinstated.
“The goal was clear: use regulatory pressure to force his removal from the air and send a message to every other broadcaster about the cost of critical coverage,” Gomez said.
Lastly, Gomez noted the FCC investigation of The View after Rep. James Talarico (D-TX) appeared ahead of his ultimate victory in Texas’s Democratic primary for the Senate. His appearance caught the commission’s attention because no other primary candidates, Democrat or Republican, in the race were booked on the daytime talk show.
“This Commission has repeated the same pattern across multiple companies it regulates,” Gomez said. “These investigations are often announced with much fanfare, pursued selectively against perceived critics of this Administration, and most are destined never to be brought to any enforcement conclusion that could face judicial review,” she said after listing out the investigations into ABC and Disney.
Gomez concluded her letter by saying the FCC is making “the most egregious assault on the First Amendment” by requiring eight ABC-owned local television stations to file for early license renewal, a move that has historically been used when the agency is preparing to fine or challenge a broadcast license holder. The license renewal requirement came soon after the public feud between the Trump administration and Kimmel.
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