Sen. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) and eight other Senate Democrats wrote a letter Wednesday to Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Chair Brendan Carr expressing “grave concern” about his “assault on press freedom” and demanding the FCC provide information about communication it may have had with ABC, Disney or any of their affiliates related to late-night comic Jimmy Kimmel.

The Democratic senators say that Carr’s comments about Kimmel and ABC during an interview last week with conservative podcaster Benny Johnson are part of a “broad pattern of government coercion of the press” by the Trump administration, including the FCC.

Democrats are accusing Carr of making “implicit threats” to revoke ABC’s broadcast license and to penalize companies that continue to air Kimmel’s show.

“You then delivered what can only be described as an ultimatum to broadcasters: ‘We can do this the easy way or the hard way. These companies can find ways to change conduct and take action, frankly, on Kimmel or there’s going to be additional work for the FCC ahead,'" they wrote.

Democrats say these comments had “chilling effects” that were evident in ABC's decision to pull Kimmel’s show from the........

© The Hill