Gomez Accuses FCC of Campaign Against Disney

Federal Communications Commission Commissioner Anna M. Gomez, the agency's sole Democratic member, sent a letter on May 11 to Walt Disney Company CEO Josh D'Amaro, accusing the FCC of waging a coordinated campaign against Disney and its ABC network through multiple regulatory investigations.

Gomez, writing amid ongoing FCC probes chaired by Brendan Carr, described the actions as an effort to pressure broadcasters into submission using the agency's licensing authority. She outlined a timeline beginning in 2024, when ABC settled a defamation lawsuit filed by President Donald Trump for $15 million. According to Gomez, the settlement failed to end scrutiny and instead invited further actions.

Among the investigations cited in the letter, the FCC revived a previously dismissed complaint alleging ABC violated the news distortion policy during its moderation of the 2024 presidential debate between Trump and then-Vice President Kamala Harris. Agency staff had rejected the claim in January 2025 as contrary to the First Amendment, but the probe was reopened.

The FCC also launched an inquiry in March 2025 into Disney and ABC's diversity, equity, and inclusion practices, requesting extensive...