Senate Democrats Investigate Secret Side Deal in Trump Paramount $16M Settlement

Democratic Senators Elizabeth Warren, Bernie Sanders, and Ron Wyden have launched an investigation into a $16 million settlement between President Donald Trump and Paramount Global, owner of CBS, following a lawsuit over an edited '60 Minutes' interview with Vice President Kamala Harris. Warren has condemned the settlement as a "meritless" lawsuit payoff and called for a formal probe into potential anti-bribery law violations, especially given Paramount's pending merger with Skydance, led by CEO David Ellison. Trump has claimed the settlement's value could be as high as $32 to $35 million when including a purported secret side deal with Skydance involving broadcast transmissions promoting conservative causes, which Paramount denies. The senators' inquiry seeks clarity on whether Skydance agreed to provide advertising or other compensation in exchange for favorable treatment, raising concerns about corruption and conflicts of interest tied to the merger approval process. The investigation also questions if the side deal influenced programming decisions, such as the cancellation of "The Late Show with Stephen Colbert," who criticized the settlement as a bribe. The senators have demanded detailed responses from Skydance by early August to determine the nature and legality of these arrangements.