ProPublica's review of FCC Chair Brendan Carr's financial disclosures found that he accepted Kennedy Center gala tickets from CBS or its parent company at least seven times after Trump appointed him to the FCC in 2017, with disclosed values totaling more than $63,000 through 2024; whether Paramount paid for Carr's 2025 skybox seats remained unknown because his latest disclosure was unavailable.
Carr accepted more than $63,000 in CBS- or Paramount-funded gala tickets
Back to resultsAn 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.
- Date
- 2026-07-15
- Entry type
- ethics gift disclosure
- Evidence status
- reported
- Current status
- FCC said attendance was cleared; four ethics experts urged Carr to avoid the next Paramount decision
- Sources
- 2
The ledger
1,855 matching recordsDOGE overstated lease savings by $81.1 million, GAO found2026-08-06Donald J. TrumpTrump-appointed OMB director and acting CFPB directorRussell Vought1 sourceForty-one percent of DOGE-listed lease terminations predated DOGE2026-08-06Elon Muskclaimed credit for lease actions begun before DOGEGeneral Services Administration1 sourceForty-one percent of DOGE-listed lease terminations predated DOGE2026-08-06Donald J. TrumpTrump-appointed senior adviser who led DOGE workElon Musk1 sourceForty-one percent of DOGE-listed lease terminations predated DOGE2026-08-06Donald J. TrumpTrump-appointed OMB director and acting CFPB directorRussell Vought1 sourceOnly 27.5 percent of DOGE's contract savings followed its stated method2026-08-06Elon Muskpublished savings that mostly failed its stated methodGAO audit of DOGE's Wall of Receipts1 sourceOnly 27.5 percent of DOGE's contract savings followed its stated method2026-08-06Donald J. TrumpTrump-appointed senior adviser who led DOGE workElon Musk1 sourceOnly 27.5 percent of DOGE's contract savings followed its stated method2026-08-06Donald J. TrumpTrump-appointed OMB director and acting CFPB directorRussell Vought1 sourceGAO found $27.4 billion in DOGE-listed contracts with no termination action2026-08-06Elon Muskcounted contracts without termination actions as savingsGAO audit of DOGE's Wall of Receipts1 sourceGAO found $27.4 billion in DOGE-listed contracts with no termination action2026-08-06Donald J. TrumpTrump-appointed senior adviser who led DOGE workElon Musk1 sourceGAO found $27.4 billion in DOGE-listed contracts with no termination action2026-08-06Donald J. TrumpTrump-appointed OMB director and acting CFPB directorRussell Vought1 sourceOne DOGE-rescinded lease was replaced at more than $1.5 million extra per year2026-08-06Elon Muskrescinded a lease later replaced at higher costGeneral Services Administration1 sourceOne DOGE-rescinded lease was replaced at more than $1.5 million extra per year2026-08-06Donald J. TrumpTrump-appointed senior adviser who led DOGE workElon Musk1 sourceOne DOGE-rescinded lease was replaced at more than $1.5 million extra per year2026-08-06Donald J. TrumpTrump-appointed OMB director and acting CFPB directorRussell Vought1 sourceGAO could not link 1,856 DOGE contract entries worth $7.2 billion to federal records2026-08-06Elon Muskpublished contract savings that GAO could not traceGAO audit of DOGE's Wall of Receipts1 sourceGAO could not link 1,856 DOGE contract entries worth $7.2 billion to federal records2026-08-06Donald J. TrumpTrump-appointed senior adviser who led DOGE workElon Musk1 sourceGAO could not link 1,856 DOGE contract entries worth $7.2 billion to federal records2026-08-06Donald J. TrumpTrump-appointed OMB director and acting CFPB directorRussell Vought1 sourceGAO could not link $25.63 billion of DOGE grant claims to award records2026-08-06Elon Muskpublished grant savings that could not be tracedGAO audit of DOGE's Wall of Receipts1 sourceGAO could not link $25.63 billion of DOGE grant claims to award records2026-08-06Donald J. TrumpTrump-appointed senior adviser who led DOGE workElon Musk1 sourceGAO could not link $25.63 billion of DOGE grant claims to award records2026-08-06Donald J. TrumpTrump-appointed OMB director and acting CFPB directorRussell Vought1 sourceGAO found 5,812 DOGE-listed contracts produced zero recorded savings2026-08-06Elon Muskpublished cancellations whose records showed no savingsGAO audit of DOGE's Wall of Receipts1 sourceGAO found 5,812 DOGE-listed contracts produced zero recorded savings2026-08-06Donald J. TrumpTrump-appointed senior adviser who led DOGE workElon Musk1 sourceGAO found 5,812 DOGE-listed contracts produced zero recorded savings2026-08-06Donald J. TrumpTrump-appointed OMB director and acting CFPB directorRussell Vought1 sourceDavid Ellison hosted Trump and joined his White House birthday event2026-08-04Donald J. TrumpParamount chair with direct presidential accessDavid Ellison1 sourceDavid Ellison hosted Trump and joined his White House birthday event2026-08-04Donald J. Trumpchief executive courted support for expansionParamount Skydance Corporation1 sourceNansen estimates losses among likely retail $WLFI wallets2026-08-03Donald J. TrumpWLF executive linked to measured token-holder outcomesChase Herro1 sourceCapital One attributes Trump account closures to anti-money-laundering review2026-07-31Capital One Financial Corporationattributed account closures to its anti-money-laundering reviewThe Trump Organization1 sourceTwelve-state challenge bars Paramount-WBD closing pending a merits ruling2026-07-24Donald J. Trumpmedia executive closely allied with TrumpDavid Ellison3 sourcesTwelve-state challenge bars Paramount-WBD closing pending a merits ruling2026-07-24Donald J. Trumpclose Trump associate and financing guarantor for his son's media companyLarry Ellison3 sourcesTwelve-state challenge bars Paramount-WBD closing pending a merits ruling2026-07-24Multistate challenge to Paramount-WBD mergerstate complaint sought to block proposed acquisitionParamount Skydance Corporation3 sourcesEU approval required divestiture of a concentrated advertising interest2026-07-22Donald J. Trumpmedia executive closely allied with TrumpDavid Ellison2 sourcesEU approval required divestiture of a concentrated advertising interest2026-07-22Donald J. Trumpclose Trump associate and financing guarantor for his son's media companyLarry Ellison2 sourcesEU approval required divestiture of a concentrated advertising interest2026-07-22European Commissionconditionally approved acquisition after divestiture commitmentsParamount Skydance Corporation2 sourcesD.C. Circuit affirms Navarro's contempt convictions2026-07-21Donald J. TrumpWhite House trade adviserPeter Navarro1 sourceCREW counted 24 foreign developments, 13 announced after Trump's 2022 campaign2026-07-20Donald J. Trumpson and Trump Organization executive managing his father's trust-held businessDonald Trump Jr.4 sourcesCREW counted 24 foreign developments, 13 announced after Trump's 2022 campaign2026-07-20Donald J. Trumpson and Trump Organization executive managing his father's trust-held businessEric Trump4 sourcesCarr accepted more than $63,000 in CBS- or Paramount-funded gala tickets2026-07-15Donald J. Trumpappointee accepted gifts from regulated broadcasterBrendan Carr2 sourcesCarr accepted more than $63,000 in CBS- or Paramount-funded gala tickets2026-07-15Donald J. Trumpagency ethics process cleared chair's attendanceFederal Communications Commission2 sourcesCarr accepted more than $63,000 in CBS- or Paramount-funded gala tickets2026-07-15Donald J. Trumpregulated company funded appointee's gala ticketsParamount Skydance Corporation2 sourcesTrump-funded court account paid Carroll $5.625 million2026-07-09Donald J. Trumpjudgment debtor whose deposited funds were disbursed inCarroll v. Trump, No. 22-cv-100163 sourcesExperts linked USAID cuts to weaker detection and response in the 2026 DRC Ebola outbreak2026-07-07Elon Muskcut outbreak-preparedness programs before the DRC epidemicU.S. Agency for International Development1 source
