MAGA FCC Chief Brendan Carr's Nine-Year 'Cultlike' AA Past Leaks Amid Teen Sexual Exploitation Claims

Brendan Carr spent roughly nine years inside a Washington-area Alcoholics Anonymous group that former members have compared to a 'cult', with allegations that teenage girls and young women were pressured into relationships and sex with older men.

Carr joined the Midtown group at about 17 in 1996 and remained involved into his 20s, according to a Guardian investigation based on interviews with 14 former members, recordings and photographs.

Crucially, there is no evidence that Carr participated in the alleged sexual exploitation or other abusive conduct, and people who knew him during that period have described him as a 'victim' of the group rather than a perpetrator.

Carr Joined Midtown as a Teenager

Carr reportedly entered Midtown while still a high school student, seeking sobriety at a time when young people were sometimes directed there by parents or treatment programmes. The group was based around Washington DC and presented itself as a recovery community, but former members said it eventually controlled far more than their drinking habits.

According to the investigation, members were expected to follow instructions about where they lived, worked, studied and whom they dated. Carr later attended Georgetown University and law school while remaining connected to Midtown.

A 2005 recording reportedly captured Carr discussing his sobriety journey during his final semester of law school. A photograph said to have been taken at a 2006 men's retreat also showed him standing several rows behind Michael Quinones, the group's influential leader.

Carr's spokesperson disputed that he remained a member through 2006 and denied that he lived in a Midtown group home. The spokesperson also said Carr had not participated in or known about alleged illegal or abusive conduct.

Former Members Describe a Controlling Recovery Group

Former Midtown members told the Guardian that Quinones, who died of cancer in 2007, exercised extraordinary influence over members' personal lives.

Daily check-ins with sponsors could involve instructions about relationships, employment, family visits, housing and diets. Some former members said young women were pressured into relationships with older men, while others described strict diets, psychological manipulation and an atmosphere of fear followed by affection.

One former member described Midtown as being 'more like a cult than an AA group', while acknowledging that it had also helped some young people become sober and form close friendships.

Women Allege Sexual Exploitation Inside Midtown

Several former female members described experiences they now view as sexually exploitative.

One woman told the Guardian that she was 16 when she had sex with a 55-year-old man and said such relationships were treated as normal within the group. Another former member said teenage girls were routinely encouraged towards older men and described the experience as sex trafficking.

Mandi Pagliarini, who joined Midtown at 15, said young women were gradually 'nudged' towards older men while members were subjected to strict rules, labour and intense scrutiny.

Claire Perna, who joined at 16, said Quinones initially presented himself as a grandfather-like figure before allegedly pursuing her. She later described him as having 'groomed' her through attention and flattery.

The accounts remain allegations by former members. Midtown today is not accused of operating in the same way, and sources told the Guardian that the group changed significantly after Quinones' death.