Senators warn Paramount against potential bribery in Trump lawsuit settlement
- Three U.S. senators, including Elizabeth Warren and Bernie Sanders, expressed concerns regarding Paramount Global's negotiations with President Trump over a settlement.
- They warned that such negotiations could potentially violate federal bribery laws and impact Paramount's $8 billion merger with Skydance Media.
- The senators urged Paramount's leadership to uphold journalistic integrity while navigating legal challenges and merging interests.
In the United States, three senators raised alarms about the dealings between Paramount Global and President Donald Trump regarding a lawsuit. The senators, Elizabeth Warren, Bernie Sanders, and Ron Wyden, alerted Paramount's controlling shareholder, Shari Redstone, that settling the lawsuit may violate federal bribery laws. Trump is seeking $20 billion from CBS and Paramount, claiming deceitful editing in a CBS interview. Paramount is currently mediating this lawsuit, and concerns have risen that settling could influence Trump’s administration approvals related to a significant merger with Skydance Media, valued at $8 billion. The senators warned that if Paramount offers concessions to settle the lawsuit in exchange for favorable treatment from the Trump administration, they could be crossing legal lines. This situation prompted a letter to Redstone, urging her to maintain journalistic integrity and resist Trump’s claims against press freedom. They noted that previously Paramount had deemed the lawsuit as completely without merit and had indicated intentions to vigorously defend against it. In the context of the larger merger with Skydance Media, Senator Warren remarked that any agreement reached during the mediation process could constitute a quid pro quo arrangement that breaks federal bribery laws. They demanded clarity regarding potential discussions of a settlement connected to the merger negotiations and whether Paramount has requested any modifications to the content aired on CBS news programs. Further complicating the matter, CBS News has faced internal strife, with notable figures resigning amidst claims of corporate interference in journalism. The FCC’s chair, Brendan Carr, mentioned that Trump's lawsuit could impact the FCC's review of the Paramount-Skydance merger. The senators' insistence on transparency highlights growing concerns regarding journalistic independence and the potential for corruption stemming from corporate interests aligning with political figures.