After being informed that he would not be allowed to participate in a scheduled Fox News debate in Cleveland on August 6, 2015, Everson filed a formal complaint with the Federal Election Commission, arguing that Fox News had violated election laws by failing to adhere to consistent criteria in determining which candidates would make the debate stage. Fox News originally stated that candidates must be polling at 1 percent in an average of five national polls to participate, but did away with the standard a week before the scheduled debate. On August 7, 2015, the "Cleveland Plain Dealer" ran an op-ed arguing that Everson should have been included in the 5 p.m. debate.