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Democracy & Rule of Law · Report · File No. 261111-385

Reporters Without Borders urges new Congress to impeach FCC Chair Brendan Carr

The press freedom group says it has never before called for removing a U.S. official. It accuses Carr of using the Federal Communications Commission against news outlets President Trump has targeted.

By the Investigations Desk · · 2 min read

Every quote in this story (2) was matched word for word against its source. How we work

My clippings
Brendan Carr
Brendan Carr. Photo: Federal Communications Commission, Public domain

Reporters Without Borders, also known as RSF, is urging the incoming Congress to impeach Federal Communications Commission Chair Brendan Carr. The group's statement is dated Nov. 9. It also asks lawmakers to make the FCC's independence a priority in their oversight work 1.

Clayton Weimers, executive director of RSF North America, said the group has never before called for the removal of a U.S. official and does not take impeachment lightly 1. Common Dreams reported that it is the first such call in RSF's 40-year history 2. Democrats take control of the House in January.

What RSF accuses Carr of

RSF says Carr has used the FCC against independent journalism. After President Trump took office, Carr reinstated complaints against, and opened inquiries into, NPR, PBS, ABC, CBS and NBC, RSF says. A local station, KCBS, also faced scrutiny 1.

The group points to ABC and the late-night host Jimmy Kimmel. In September 2025, after a Kimmel joke about Charlie Kirk's assassination, RSF says the FCC pressured ABC to remove him. In April 2026, it says, Carr ordered an early review of ABC's broadcast licenses. ABC stations called that review unlawful and unconstitutional, and ABC and Disney sued the FCC 1.

From Channel GOPBlumenthal reads Patel his own confirmation promisesSen. Blumenthal · 1.2K plays · captioned, with the source named
Brendan Carr
We can do this the easy way or the hard way.
Brendan Carr, FCC chair, Republican1

RSF also cites Carr's March 2026 post saying broadcasters had a chance to correct course before license renewals. That followed Trump's criticism of coverage of the Iran war 1. In December 2025, Carr told the Senate the FCC "is not an independent agency, formally speaking" 1.

A separate complaint concerns the Hatch Act, a federal law that limits political activity by government employees. RSF and the Democracy Defenders Fund filed it on Oct. 19. It asks the Office of Special Counsel to investigate Carr's appearance with Trump at a rally for Alaska Senate candidate Dan Sullivan 1. An accusation is not a finding, and the sources do not say how the office has responded.

Who said what

The incoming Congress now faces a defining test of its commitment to the Constitution and the freedoms it guarantees.
Clayton Weimers, Executive director, RSF North America2

Jessica González, co-CEO of the advocacy group Free Press Action, said Carr's actions should lead to his removal from office, "by impeachment if necessary" 2. Sen. Richard Blumenthal, a Connecticut Democrat, sent Carr a letter dated Nov. 5 demanding records. It is part of an investigation into how the president's and the FCC's actions affect press freedom and media consolidation laws 2.

Common Dreams reported no response from Carr or the FCC, and no statement on impeachment from Democratic congressional leaders 2.

What happens next

Impeachment starts in the House, and Democrats do not take control until January. Removing an official would take a Senate trial. Republicans held the Senate before the Jan. 3 handover, and the sources do not say whether any would back removal. RSF says Congress "has a constitutional responsibility to hold him accountable" 1.

That matters because the FCC licenses the broadcast stations many older Americans rely on for local news and weather. The question is whether regulators can pressure those stations over what they air. Whatever Democrats do, the fight is likely to start with oversight letters like Blumenthal's before any impeachment vote.

The Record

  1. Carr told the Senate the FCC 'is not an independent agency, formally speaking' (RSF dates it only to December 2025) 1.
  2. RSF and Democracy Defenders Fund filed a Hatch Act complaint against Carr 1.
  3. Sen. Richard Blumenthal sent Carr a letter demanding records 2.
  4. RSF published its call for Congress to impeach Carr 1.
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Sources

  1. Reporters Without Borders (RSF), “USA: RSF urges Congress to impeach FCC Chairman Brendan Carr” (2026-11-09). rsf.org/en/usa-rsf-urges-congress-impeach-fcc-chairman-brend
  2. Common Dreams, “'A Defining Test': Press Freedom Group Urges New Democratic Majority to Impeach Trump's FCC Chair” (2026-11-10). commondreams.org/news/impeach-brendan-carr

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