Who is accountable if a repeater inadvertently retransmits communications that violate the FCC rules?

Under FCC rules, the control operator of the originating station is always legally responsible for the content of their own transmissions. If an operator says something that violates the rules, they are the one held accountable, even if their signal is being amplified and retransmitted by a repeater. The repeater's control operator or owner is not held strictly liable for inadvertently retransmitting these violations. Because repeaters operate under automatic control, it is understood that the repeater owner cannot instantly vet every user's transmission before it goes out over the air.