The FCC “has attempted to delay the production of responsive documents and obfuscate the existence of responsive records” and “made clear that it will not undertake a good faith effort to produce responsive documents,” according to the document. “Accordingly, discovery is required and will expedite the document production process by helping plaintiffs identify responsive documents.”
Carr’s phone.
The filing says there is evidence that Carr has Signal messages set up on a phone he uses for FCC business. Carr’s phone number was previously revealed in a FoIA request that appeared in a November 2024 email from a Fox News producer confirming an interview. Entering that “number into the Signal app shows that you have an active Signal account with the username ‘Brendan Carr,’” the document says.
TO court presentation filing by the FCC on June 3 said that Carr did not have DOGE staff phone numbers and that “it is agency policy not to download additional messaging applications on FCC phones (e.g., Signal, WhatsApp).” The plaintiffs respond that Carr likely exchanged messages with Musk or other high-ranking DOGE officials.
“Plaintiffs do not know whether the number identified in Exhibits 4 and 5 belongs to Carr’s personal phone or a government-issued phone,” the filing says. “What we do know is that a phone is being used for government business and that it has a Signal account in Carr’s name. Based on information and belief, Carr regularly conducts government business via text messaging and Signal, communicating with journalists, industry professionals, and individuals who work for regulated entities, such as Musk and SpaceX.”
The plaintiffs said the FCC’s statement that Carr did not have phone numbers for DOGE staff does not resolve the matter.
“It is unlikely that Carr would have communicated with people at that level. Carr would have communicated with Musk or other high-ranking DOGE officials,” the document said. The plaintiffs said that a previous case involving DOGE showed that “DOGE personnel routinely conducted business on their personal phones using text messages, especially the Signal app.”
The separate filing accused the FCC of limiting its records search to emails with FCC, DOGE, and GSA (General Services Administration) domains, despite plaintiffs’ objections. He also said that the travel documents provided by the FCC did not include anything about Carr’s visits to Starlink facilities.
We contacted the FCC today and will update this article if it provides any comment.
