Carr Calls Out Mosby’s ‘Blatantly Unconstitutional’ Complaint

In the face of corruption and abuse of power allegations, one would think the best course of action would be for a politician to keep a low profile. Marilyn Mosby, the State’s Attorney for Baltimore, decided to double-down on the behavior that has her in hot water. Mosby recently filed a complaint with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to shut down local media coverage of the FBI investigation of which she is the subject. Thankfully, people like FCC Commissioner Brendan Carr have recognized this complaint for what it is – blatantly unconstitutional.

Mosby and her husband, Baltimore City Council President Nick Mosby, are currently under investigation by the FBI regarding a series of unpaid taxes. There are also a number of issues surrounding travel reimbursements for luxurious stays in hotels across Europe. Naturally, with Maryland families and businesses having had to tighten their belts due to the pandemic and the lockdowns, people are asking pointed questions.  

In response to news coverage, Mosby lashed out, calling the coverage of her alleged scandals, “blatantly slanted, dishonest, misleading, racist, and extremely dangerous.” She formally filed a complaint with the FCC asking them to investigate this coverage and, ultimately, shut it down. This is a clear attempt by the State Attorney’s office to leverage the federal government to alter press coverage of a public official.

Fortunately, FCC Commissioner Brendan Carr called for the FCC to dismiss the complaint. In a statement, Carr said, “It is particularly troubling that a public official would work to silence reporters that are investigating her work at a time when federal prosecutors have already opened a criminal investigation into her activities.” He continued, “that is why the FCC must dismiss this complaint with prejudice by the end of today. No journalists should have a complaint like this from their city’s top prosecutor hanging over their newsroom.”

It is refreshing to see there are still some public officials in Washington willing to call it like they see it. Carr makes the point that if the FBI and federal prosecutors saw fit to investigate the Mosby family’s activities, it should be fair game for the media. Public information about these alleged scandals will help draw attention to the potential misuse of taxpayer funds and create more accountability.

The rest of the FCC should heed Commissioner Carr’s words and swiftly dismiss Mosby’s complaint. Given all the talk of the First Amendment and freedom of the press over the last few years, this seems like a layup opportunity to affirm that the FCC will not stand in the way of investigative journalism.