Former FCC officials want to force a vote on the ‘weapon’ Brendan Carr has invoked against broadcasters

Several former Federal Communications Commissioners and staffers across parties are urging the US Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia to force a vote on the FCC’s news distortion policy, which they argue should be repealed after being abused by Chairman Brendan Carr. The group of petitioners asked the court to require the FCC to vote on a petition to repeal the News Distortion Policy. The petition was filed by the bipartisan group of former officials in November 2025, after Chairman Carr invoked the rule to pressure ABC into temporarily suspending comedian Jimmy Kimmel. But only the agency chair can bring it to the full commission for a vote, and Chairman Carr has so far failed to do so while opposing a repeal. Now, the former officials are asking the court to grant a writ of mandamus, which would compel the FCC to take action. The goal is to force a response from the agency, putting each of the three commissioners on the record about the policy, and opening a potential legal pathway to remove a tool the group believes has been weaponized. “The News Distortion Policy is a loaded gun that Chairman Carr is using to threaten broadcasters,” said Mark Fowler, a Republican who led the agency in the ’80s. “Until it is repealed, we will not have a free press.” said Tom Wheeler, a former Democratic chair from 2013 to 2017. “As long as the News Distortion Policy remains, the FCC Chair could continue to misuse it to police perceived media bias, discourage broadcasters from covering controversial stories, and punish outlets that air content the Trump administration dislikes.” The petitioners also include the Radio Television Digital News Association, former Republican FCC Chairmen Dennis Patrick and Alfred Sikes, Republican Commissioners Andrew Barrett and Rachelle Chong, former Democratic commissioner Ervin Duggan, and four additional former senior leaders at the agency.