"Noting that he had been a broadcaster himself, Hadley wrote that the 'absolute lack of accountability has always confused (and sickened) me,' telling Carr and Delacourt: 'Please, do not let up, and let me know if I can help in any way.'"
"It is highly irregular for a career civil servant and enforcement chief to express support for a politically motivated pressure campaign, or pledge services to a targeted retaliation effort against a broadcaster in their own jurisdiction."
"Federal ethics rules prohibit government employees from participating in matters where their impartiality could reasonably be questioned."
FCC Chairman Brendan Carr threatened Disney with regulatory action after a Jimmy Kimmel Live! monologue about Charlie Kirk's assassination, leading major affiliates to drop the broadcast. Later that day, Lark Hadley, the FCC's West Coast enforcement director, privately emailed Carr expressing support and offering assistance with the matter. Hadley, who oversees ABC-owned California stations including the one broadcasting Kimmel's show, stated he was sickened by the broadcaster's lack of accountability and urged Carr not to relent. This conduct violates federal ethics rules prohibiting government employees from participating in matters where impartiality could be questioned, and represents an irregular involvement of a career civil servant in a politically motivated pressure campaign.
#fcc-ethics-violation #regulatory-retaliation #government-accountability #broadcast-regulation #political-pressure-campaign
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