Watchdog files complaint with FCC demanding release of Kamala Harris’ unedited transcript of ’60 Minutes’

A conservative watchdog has filed a formal complaint with the Federal Communications Commission, accusing CBS of distortion for airing edited responses from Vice President Kamala Harris’ interview on “60 Minutes.”

The Center for American Rights (CAR), a nonprofit law firm, has asked the FCC to order WCBS-TV – the network’s station in New York – to release the full, unedited transcript of the “60 Minutes” interview.

“It’s not just an interview or a network,” said CAR President Daniel Suhr.

“This is about public trust in the media on critical issues of national security and international relations during one of the most important elections of our time. When broadcasters manipulate interviews and distort reality, it undermines democracy itself. The FCC must act quickly to restore public trust in our news media.

The Tiffany Network faced a flood of backlash for airing an edited version of Harris’ response on U.S. relations with Israel on October 7 after airing her “word salad” response to the same question during a promo for the upcoming CBS special “Face the Nation” the day before.

In his response to a question from Bill Whitaker broadcast Sunday on “Face the Nation,” Harris said:

“Well, Bill… the work that we have done has resulted in a number of Israeli movements in this region, which have been strongly motivated or resulting from many things, including our advocacy for what needs to happen in the region. »

On the prime-time “60 Minutes” show the following evening, Harris’ response was made clear: “We are not going to stop pursuing what is necessary for the United States to be clear about our position regarding the necessity of this war. to finish. »

CBS argued that the response was to the same question from Whitaker, but was changed for reasons of time.

But Suhr dismissed that excuse.

“CBS crosses a line when its production reaches the point of transforming an interviewee’s response to the point of making it a fundamentally different response,” the filing says.

Harris’ campaign has since fought to distance itself from the network’s editorial controversy.

Distortion of information “must involve a significant event and not just a minor or incidental aspect of the reporting” to be considered a policy violation, according to the FCC.

CAR argued that CBS’ editing of the Harris interview met these infringement requirements.

“The issue is incredibly important – US foreign policy toward the Middle East in the midst of war – and the timing is important too: weeks before a presidential election, and with a candidate who has granted very little “interviews with the media”, we can read in the file. said.

Suhr, who worked as political director for former Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker, launched CAR last year with fellow attorney Pat Hughes.

The Center’s mission is to advance free speech, free enterprise and parental freedom in education through precedent-setting strategic litigation, according to Suhr’s biography as a contributor to the Federalist Society.

Hughes and Suhr are currently representing some Columbia University students in a lawsuit against anti-Israel protesters who organized the school’s pro-Palestinian encampments.