Donald Trump’s administration is trying to kill ABC’s blockbuster lawsuit against the FCC – but the network’s original court filing lays out an extraordinary trail of threats it claims proves the fight is really about silencing unfavorable coverage.
Government lawyers have asked a federal judge to dismiss the case, arguing ABC cannot prove retaliation triggered an unusual early review of eight ABC-owned stations’ broadcast licenses.
The FCC insists the review stems from Disney’s allegedly “deficient and nonresponsive” cooperation with an investigation into its employment practices – not the network’s programming or its clashes with Trump and FCC Chairman Brendan Carr.
But ABC tells a dramatically different story in its 46-page complaint, accusing the administration of using the FCC’s regulatory muscle to punish a network whose coverage and programming Trump dislikes.
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