The FCC faces accusations of obstructing a transparency lawsuit by refusing to turn over Chairman Brendan Carr's messages with DOGE and Elon Musk. Plaintiffs claim the agency has 'wasted a year' of court time while delaying document production and making it unclear whether responsive records even exist. The FCC previously stated Carr had no phone numbers for DOGE personnel and that agency policy prohibits downloading messaging apps on FCC devices.

However, evidence shows Carr's phone number was disclosed in a FOIA request containing a November 2024 email from a Fox News producer. Entering that number into Signal reveals an active account under Carr's name, suggesting he uses the encrypted messaging app for government business. Plaintiffs argue this contradicts the FCC's position and indicates regular communication with high-profile figures including Musk and SpaceX officials.

The lawsuit points to patterns of DOGE personnel using personal phones for official business, particularly through Signal messaging. Plaintiffs also note the FCC limited its records search to emails with specific domains, ignoring broader communications channels. Travel documents provided by the agency notably omit any mention of Carr's visits to Starlink facilities.

At stake is whether the FCC complied with transparency requirements during its interactions with the controversial cost-cutting initiative. The agency has not responded to requests for comment on these latest allegations.