ABC Facing FCC, FEC Complaints Over Debate Bias Favoring Harris
ABC is under fire after accusations surfaced that the network acted unfairly during the September 10 debate between President Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris. The Center for American Rights has filed complaints with both the FCC and FEC, arguing that the network violated rules regarding public broadcasts and campaign contributions. Critics point out that ABC’s moderators repeatedly fact-checked Trump while allowing Harris to go unchallenged on several topics.
The Center’s FCC complaint highlights concerns that ABC failed to uphold its responsibility to provide fair and impartial programming. They claim that the moderators avoided asking Harris critical questions about important issues, such as President Biden’s health or the assassination attempt on Trump. By not holding Harris accountable, ABC allegedly failed to serve the public interest.
Daniel Suhr, an attorney with the Center for American Rights, emphasized that what ABC did goes beyond typical media bias. He stated that the network’s actions were closer to a campaign ad for Harris than an unbiased debate. The FCC complaint also suggests that ABC misled voters by selectively questioning Trump, which violates broadcasting standards.
In addition, the FEC complaint argues that ABC’s coverage of the debate amounts to an in-kind contribution to Harris’ campaign. The Center claims that if ABC had charged advertising rates for the prime-time exposure, it would have been valued in the tens of millions. Federal law prohibits corporations from making contributions to presidential campaigns.
Neither ABC nor WPVI-TV, which produced the debate, have responded to these allegations. Both the FCC and FEC are expected to investigate the complaints, though no decision is likely before the election.
