Ohio Senator Bernie Moreno contacted the Federal Communications Commission over the weekend and pressed for a formal look into ABC News. The move followed the network’s decision to take down and then rework a report that examined business ties between President Donald Trump’s sons and defense contractor Anduril Industries.
The original piece, published Wednesday, asserted that firms linked to Donald Trump Jr. and Eric Trump had obtained billions of dollars in government contracts. It singled out the venture firm 1789 Capital, where Trump Jr. is a partner. ABC later stated that the story contained factual mistakes about investments, contracts, and the sequence of events.
On Friday the network replaced the deleted article with a substantially rewritten version, according to Fox News. The new text carried a different headline and byline along with an editor’s note that listed the inaccuracies. It also stated that Trump Jr. does not sit on the firm’s investment decision-making committee.
Errors centered on Anduril funding figures and potential effects in Ohio
Moreno’s letter to FCC Chairman Brendan Carr took issue with how the first version portrayed Anduril’s financing. Questions about Trump family ties to federal contracting have surfaced elsewhere, as defense startups previously without gov contracts started winning massive deals after Trump family investments, prompting Democrats to demand a federal investigation.
He maintained that the network had misstated the company’s investment activity and had linked the Trump family to federal contracting choices in a way that was not accurate.
The Wednesday story had reported that 1789 Capital took a major stake in Anduril by investing $2.5 billion. That sum was actually the size of Anduril’s wider fundraising round; 1789 Capital’s own contribution was about $50 million.
Moreno wrote, “Thus, I urge the Commission to open a formal investigation into ABC News’s political hit job. We must know who signed off on the publication of this false story, who may have asked to profit from the attack, and whether ABC News’s conduct violated its obligations as a licensee.”
He continued, “ABC News appears under broadcast licenses issued by the FCC. These licenses are a privilege, not a right. They require service of the public interest.”
The senator further stressed the possible consequences for Ohio, where Anduril is building its Arsenal-1 manufacturing plant. The company has said it intends to invest nearly $1 billion and expects the project to generate more than 4,000 jobs.
He added, “The American people, and the workers in Ohio whose jobs were put at risk by this reporting, deserve answers and accountability.”
A source at ABC News told Fox News Digital, “We always review every situation in a thorough and thoughtful manner and will not be providing further comment at this time.” When Fox News Digital contacted Moreno’s office, a spokesperson declined to expand on the claims in the letter.
The request arrives while Disney, ABC’s parent company, is in a legal dispute with the FCC over an early review of licenses for ABC-owned stations. The FCC’s licensing authority has drawn repeated legal challenges, as when Disney and ABC sued the FCC, accusing it of running a retaliatory campaign on behalf of the Trump administration.
Disney has contended that the review endangers constitutionally protected editorial independence; the FCC has described the process as ordinary regulatory oversight. Fox News Digital also sought comment from the FCC and received no immediate reply.
Published: Oct 12, 2026 08:00 am