Federal Communications Commission Chairman Brendan Carr defended the agency’s review approving Skydance Media’s acquisition of Paramount Global as routine and in the public interest in a letter made public on Tuesday.

Carr, in the letter dated August 12, rejected Democratic Senator Richard Blumenthal’s allegation that the agency’s actions were conditioned on payments to President Donald Trump.

Paramount agreed to pay $16 million to settle a $20 billion lawsuit filed by Trump, who claimed CBS News’ “60 Minutes” deceptively edited an interview with former Vice President Kamala Harris. Paramount did not admit wrongdoing as part of the settlement.

Blumenthal last month sought answers on the review and suggested the FCC’s actions were aimed at “government censorship” in approving the deal.

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