Senators Warn Paramount on Trump Lawsuit, Merger Deal

Three U.S. senators—Elizabeth Warren, Bernie Sanders, and Ron Wyden—have warned Paramount Global and chair Shari Redstone that settling President Trump’s $20 billion lawsuit against CBS News could violate federal anti-bribery statutes if linked to regulatory approval of Paramount’s proposed merger with Skydance Media. Trump’s lawsuit claims CBS’s '60 Minutes' deceptively edited a 2024 interview with Kamala Harris to support her campaign, a claim CBS and legal experts have dismissed. The senators raised concerns that Paramount may be offering concessions to Trump or his administration in exchange for a favorable decision from the FCC, which is chaired by Trump appointee Brendan Carr. The timing of settlement talks, along with the recent resignations of CBS News president Wendy McMahon and '60 Minutes' executive producer Bill Owens, has intensified scrutiny. Paramount denies any connection between the lawsuit settlement and the merger. This controversy comes amid heightened concerns about press freedom and Trump’s confrontational stance toward major media outlets.