FCC Officials Took Pricey Gifts From Paramount as the Company Needed Approval for Billion-Dollar Deals by Corey G. Johnson July 15, 2026, 5:00 am

FCC Officials Took Pricey Gifts From Paramount as the Company Needed Approval for Billion-Dollar Deals by Corey G. Johnson July 15, 2026, 5:00 am Reporting Highlights Expensive Gifts: Despite regulating broadcast media, FCC commissioners have accepted pricey tickets to the Kennedy Center honors gala from CBS or its parent company, now Paramount. Conflict of Interest: Ethics experts say that by accepting the gifts, FCC commissioners are compromising the agency’s impartiality and should avoid acting on Paramount’s pending merger. Mixing Business and Pleasure: After voting for a Paramount merger, Commissioner Olivia Trusty took tickets worth over $12,000. FCC Chair Brendan Carr has accepted tickets worth at least $63,000. https://www.propublica.org/article/paramount-mergers-fcc-kennedy-center-gala?utm_source=sailthru&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=majorinvestigations&utm_content=secondary