The New York Times disclosed the probe, which it said has been in motion since December but had not previously come to light, citing confirmation from Rep. Frank Pallone of New Jersey, the top Democrat on the committee overseeing the FCC. The inspector general’s office, the paper noted, does not typically confirm or deny reports of what matters it is investigating. Bloomberg followed up on the Times with its own report, citing a lawmaker whose identity it did not reveal.

At the heart of the reported probe is the series of events that led up to Sinclair declaring last April that it planned to buy Tribune Media for $3.9B — a deal that will transform the local TV landscape. Leading up to the deal announcement, the Pai-led FCC undertook several moves aimed at loosening regulations preventing certain dealmaking by local station owners. Sinclair, already the No. 1 owner of stations in terms of volume, would become a colossus potentially reaching more than 70% of U.S. households.

The inspector general is looking into communications between Pai and Sinclair regarding the activities of the FCC, which would have given the company uncommon visibility into the regulatory climate its Tribune deal would face. Last summer, the Times had reported on several meetings and written communications between the parties, which prompted Pallone and others to request a formal investigation. The two Democrats on the FCC have frequently and publicly cast suspicion on the sequence and speed of events surrounding the Sinclair-Tribune deal.

“For months I have been trying to get to the bottom of the allegations about Chairman Pai’s relationship with Sinclair Broadcasting,” Pallone told the Times in a statement. “I am grateful to the F.C.C.’s inspector general that he has decided to take up this important investigation.”