It was briefly mentioned at a recent budget hearing; now House Democrats are calling for an ethics investigation into FCC Commissioner Brendan Carr for potential misuse of his official position by contributing to the highly controversial “Project 2025” policy document.
Sixteen representatives, led by Congressman Jared Huffman (D-CA), sent a letter to the Office of Special Counsel, the Office of Government Ethics, and the FCC Inspector General Fara Damelin asking for an investigation into Carr for a possible breach of the Hatch Act. The Hatch Act restricts federal employees from engaging in political activities while using their official capacities.
Carr authored a chapter in the “Project 2025: Presidential Transition Project” document, joining many other fellow Trump administration appointees, discussing FCC policy and its importance in future partisan government, including numerous changes around regulations for “Big Tech.”
The letter calls for a thorough investigation into Carr’s actions, including reviewing his ethics disclosures and government communications. It emphasizes the urgency given the proximity to the presidential election and the broader implications of any potential misuse of official capacity in political campaigning.
The case for investigation hinges on usage of Carr’s official title, which could imply governmental endorsement of the politicially charged project.
The letter states, “The Misuse of Position Rule clearly prohibits federal employees from using their government positions, titles, or authority to sign letters, write op-eds, speak in their personal capacity, or—as it were—draft the blueprint for archconservatives to take over their agency.6 Nevertheless, Project 2025 unambiguously identifies Commissioner Carr as the sole author of the chapter about the FCC, referring to him as ‘FCC Commissioner Brendan Carr.’ Commissioner Carr’s official title is included again in the authors section, which describes him as ‘the senior Republican on the Federal Communications Commission.'”
The Commissioner told Forbes that he consulted FCC ethics officials before writing a chapter for Project 2025, and they approved his participation in a personal capacity and his professional title was used merely as a biographical detail.
This move comes as the Democratic Party raises alarm bells over Project 2025 and The Heritage Foundation behind the policy. The Project 2025 website claims, “It is not enough for conservatives to win elections. If we are going to rescue the country from the grip of the radical Left, we need both a governing agenda and the right people in place, ready to carry this agenda out on day one of the next conservative administration.”
While The Heritage Foundation is in support of former President Trump, the Republican nominee for President has publicly distanced himself from the organization.
