An FCC official told ProPublica that agency ethics officers under Trump-designated chair Brendan Carr treated the gala as a widely attended gathering, while the agency did not provide the written authorizations requested by ProPublica; four ethics experts said Carr's acceptance compromised the FCC's impartiality and that he should not participate in the next Paramount merger decision.

5 C.F.R. § 2635.202 generally bars an executive-branch employee from accepting a gift from a prohibited source or because of official position, subject to exceptions; § 2635.204(g)(2) permits free attendance at a qualifying widely attended gathering only after written agency authorization that attendance serves the agency's interest.