Punishing the Press, Critics and Institutions

Five Federal Regulators

Trump's FTC Demanded a Watchdog's Documents. A Judge Found the Demand Stopped Stories About the FTC.

Select a Section to Explore

Chapter 1 — A Demand That Stopped Stories

Chapter 2 — Mergers, Grants and Referrals

Chapter 3 — The President's Responsibility

1 · A Demand That Stopped Stories

1 · A Demand That Stopped Stories — select a subtopic

1.1 — An Antitrust Demand Stopped Reporting

1 · A Demand That Stopped Stories

1.1 · A Demand That Stopped Stories

An Antitrust Demand Stopped Reporting

The FTC said it was enforcing antitrust law against coordinated advertising boycotts. A judge found its demand to Media Matters likely retaliatory and found the watchdog had dropped stories because of it. The lawsuit later ended, and Media Matters said the FTC agreed to withdraw the demand and forgo substantially similar demands.

Media Matters for America v. FTC, preliminary-injunction opinion, page 3

Because of the CID, Media Matters has decided against pursuing certain stories about the FTC, Chairman Ferguson, and Mr. Musk.

Judge Sparkle Sooknanan · August 15, 2025

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Sources

[1]Order denying Media Matters for America's petition to quash the civil investigative demand, File No. 251-0061, by the Federal Trade Commission (the demand itself attached as Exhibit A)

[2]Memorandum Opinion granting a preliminary injunction, Media Matters for America v. Federal Trade Commission, No. 1:25-cv-01959 (D.D.C.), ECF 34 (Sooknanan, J.), 48 pages

[8]Statement of Chairman Andrew N. Ferguson, In the Matter of Omnicom Group Inc. and The Interpublic Group of Companies, Inc., File No. 251-0049 (6 pages)

[13]FTC v. Superior Court Trial Lawyers Ass'n, 493 U.S. 411 (1990)

[14]Stipulation of Voluntary Dismissal, Media Matters for America v. Federal Trade Commission, No. 1:25-cv-01959 (D.D.C.), ECF 62

[15]Media Matters statement on settlement with the FTC, May 4, 2026

2 · Mergers, Grants and Referrals

2 · Mergers, Grants and Referrals — select a subtopic

2.1 — CBS Newsroom Promises Became Merger Conditions

2.2 — A Fraud Campaign Froze Clean-Energy Financing

2.3 — Criminal Referrals and a Closed Investigation

2 · Mergers, Grants and Referrals

2.1 · Mergers, Grants and Referrals

CBS Newsroom Promises Became Merger Conditions

The FCC used its power over a broadcaster's ownership to secure promises about CBS news coverage and handling bias complaints; its chairman defended the review as ordinary merger practice. The FCC majority also found no material public-interest harms and expected the transaction to address Paramount's financial difficulties and improve service by CBS and its local stations. A September 23 letter from senators to Nexstar and Sinclair quoted Carr warning that broadcasters could act against Kimmel or face additional FCC work, and reported that Trump praised the suspension. A second broadcaster received an ownership-cap waiver after the chairman thanked it for pulling Jimmy Kimmel, though no bargain is documented and a judge later blocked the integration; at that preliminary stage, Nunley found sufficient evidence supporting the Clayton Act claims and found that the merger would diminish local-news quality and raise consumer bills through increased retransmission fees.

Paramount-Skydance transfer order, FCC 25-43, paragraph 59

Finally, to promote transparency and increased accountability, Skydance will have in place, for a period of at least two years, an ombudsman who reports to the President of New Paramount, and who will receive and evaluate any complaints of bias or other concerns involving CBS.

Federal Communications Commission · July 24, 2025

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Sources

[3]Memorandum Opinion and Order, FCC 25-43, MB Docket No. 24-275 (transfer of the Paramount licences to Skydance), 61 paragraphs

[7]President Trump designates chairmen and acting chairmen, January 20, 2025

[16]FCC news release, "FCC Approves Skydance's Acquisition of Paramount CBS," carrying the statement of Chairman Brendan Carr (DOC-413229A1)

[17]Dissenting Statement of Commissioner Anna M. Gomez, FCC 25-43 (attachment A2)

[18]Letter from Chairman Brendan Carr to the Hon. Richard Blumenthal, United States Senate (DOC-414089A2)

[19]FCC v. Prometheus Radio Project, 592 U.S. 414 (2021) — slip opinion

[20]FCC v. WNCN Listeners Guild, 450 U.S. 582 (1981)

[21]47 U.S.C. § 310(d) — Limitation on holding and transfer of licenses (prelim edition, Office of the Law Revision Counsel)

[22]DIRECTV v. Nexstar, preliminary injunction, April 17, 2026, E.D. California, Troy L. Nunley

[23]Post by Brendan Carr (@BrendanCarrFCC), status 1968449919221416427

[24]Letter from Senator Elizabeth Warren to Nexstar Media Group and Sinclair, Inc.

[25]Letter from Chairman Brendan Carr to the Hon. Edward J. Markey, United States Senate

[26]Memorandum Opinion and Order, DA 26-267, MB Docket No. 25-331 (transfer of control of TEGNA Inc. to Nexstar and waiver of the National Television Ownership Rule), By the Chief, Media Bureau

2.2 · Mergers, Grants and Referrals

A Fraud Campaign Froze Clean-Energy Financing

EPA tried to cancel $20 billion awarded to eight nonprofits nine days after asking the inspector general to investigate. The full appeals court upheld a preliminary block on the terminations, but a separate stay kept disbursement on hold. One recipient said the freeze stopped funding for twenty-two projects serving Native communities.

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Sources

[4]EPA news release, "Administrator Zeldin Terminates Biden-Harris $20B 'Gold Bar' Grants"

[27]EPA news release, "Administrator Zeldin Announces that Billions of Dollars Worth of 'Gold Bars' Have Been Located at Outside Financial Institution"

[28]U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, programme page for the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund, including its timeline and its "In the Courts" section

[29]Referral letter from W.C. McIntosh, Acting Deputy Administrator, to Acting Inspector General Nicole Murley, reproduced in full in EPA news release "EPA Formally Refers Financial Mismanagement of $20B 'Gold Bars' to Inspector General"

[30]Notice of Grant Termination, Climate United Fund v. Citibank, N.A., No. 1:25-cv-00698 (D.D.C.), ECF 13

[31]Memorandum Opinion, Climate United Fund v. Citibank, N.A., No. 1:25-cv-00698 (D.D.C.), ECF 28 (Chutkan, J.)

[32]EPA Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund page, captured October 10, 2026

[33]Opinion, Climate United Fund v. Citibank, N.A., Nos. 25-5122 and 25-5123 (D.C. Cir.) — panel judgment, majority and dissent

[34]2 C.F.R. § 200.340 — Termination

[35]Order granting rehearing en banc and vacating the panel judgment, Climate United Fund v. Citibank, N.A., Nos. 25-5122 and 25-5123 (D.C. Cir.)

[36]Judgment, Climate United Fund v. Citibank, N.A., Nos. 25-5122 and 25-5123 (D.C. Cir.), sitting en banc

[37]D.C. Circuit, Climate United v. Citibank, partial stay of mandate, filed August 7, 2026

[38]Climate United 2025 impact report, October 8, 2025

2.3 · Mergers, Grants and Referrals

Criminal Referrals and a Closed Investigation

The housing regulator sent criminal referrals against four officials outside Trump's administration. Trump personally ordered a new inquiry into the mortgage allegations against Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook; her lawyer said documents given to the lenders contradicted them. Cook's lawyer also accused Pulte of ignoring reported similar mortgage representations by Trump administration officials and Pulte's relatives; that was counsel's allegation, not a finding resolving whether the referrals were selective. The consumer bureau ended a four-and-a-half-year investigation of Credova, whose parent reported about $3.1 million in 2024 compensation for Donald Trump Jr., mostly the accounting value of stock awards; the bureau said it was correcting anti-firearms bias.

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Sources

[5]Criminal referral letter from William J. Pulte, Director, U.S. Federal Housing Finance Agency, to Attorney General Pamela Bondi and Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche

[6]Letter from Mark Paoletta, Chief Legal Officer, Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, to the General Counsel of PSQ Holdings, Inc., closing the Bureau's investigation of Credova Financial, LLC — reproduced on the Bureau's letterhead as Exhibit 99.1 to PSQ Holdings' Form 8-K

[39]Official biography of Director William J. Pulte, Federal Housing Finance Agency

[40]Criminal referral letter from William J. Pulte, Director, U.S. Federal Housing Finance Agency, to Attorney General Pamela Bondi and Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche

[41]Criminal referral letter from William J. Pulte, Director, U.S. Federal Housing Finance Agency, to Attorney General Pamela Bondi and Special Attorney Edward R. Martin, Jr.

[42]Letter from counsel for Federal Reserve Governor Lisa D. Cook to Attorney General Pamela Bondi, answering both Federal Housing Finance Agency referrals

[43]Complaint, Swalwell v. Pulte, No. 1:25-cv-04125 (D.D.C.), ECF 1

[44]12 U.S.C. § 4642(a) — Reporting of fraudulent loans (prelim edition, Office of the Law Revision Counsel)

[45]United States v. Armstrong, 517 U.S. 456 (1996)

[46]Answer of the Federal Housing Finance Agency, Democracy Forward Foundation v. FHFA, No. 1:25-cv-03700 (D.D.C.)

[47]Presidential memorandum establishing a committee of inquiry into Lisa Cook, October 7, 2026

[48]United States v. James, dismissal order, November 24, 2025, Cameron McGowan Currie

[49]Reuters, September 15, 2026, republished by ThePrint, appeals court to hear DOJ bid to revive Comey and James cases

[50]United States v. James, government notice of appeal, December 19, 2025

[51]Joint Stipulation of Voluntary Dismissal, Swalwell v. Pulte, No. 1:25-cv-04125 (D.D.C.)

[52]PSQ Holdings, Inc., definitive proxy statement (Form DEF 14A), filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission

[53]Joint Rule 60(b)(6) Motion for Relief and Vacatur, CFPB v. Townstone Financial, Inc., No. 1:20-cv-04176 (N.D. Ill.), ECF 145

[54]Memorandum in Support of the Joint Rule 60(b)(6) Motion, CFPB v. Townstone Financial, Inc., No. 1:20-cv-04176 (N.D. Ill.), ECF 145-1

[55]Order denying the Joint Rule 60(b)(6) Motion for Relief and Vacatur, CFPB v. Townstone Financial, Inc., No. 1:20-cv-04176 (N.D. Ill.), ECF 152 (Valderrama, J.), 15 pages

[56]Biographical directory of Article III federal judges, entry for Franklin Ulyses Valderrama, Federal Judicial Center

[57]Executive Order 14331, "Guaranteeing Fair Banking for All Americans," 90 Fed. Reg. 38925

3 · The President's Responsibility

3 · The President's Responsibility — select a subtopic

3.1 — Regulatory Power Became a Political Instrument

3 · The President's Responsibility

3.1 · The President's Responsibility

Regulatory Power Became a Political Instrument

The strongest case concerns how government powers were used: newsroom conditions, burdens on a watchdog and grantees, and relief for a company connected to the President's family. Courts blocked some acts, and legitimate regulatory discretion remains a substantial defense. Congress can separately judge whether Trump's appointments, merger endorsement, reported pressure to prosecute James and direct action against Cook warrant impeachment.