Workflow
US senators warn Paramount's Shari Redstone that settling Trump's CBS lawsuit could be ‘bribery'
PGREParamount (PGRE) New York Post·2025-05-20 17:49

Core Viewpoint - Paramount Global is under scrutiny from US senators regarding its negotiations to settle a 20billiondefamationlawsuitfiledbyPresidentTrumpagainstCBSNews,withconcernsthatsuchadealmayviolateUSanti−briberylaws[1][2].Group1:LegalandRegulatoryConcerns−SenatorsElizabethWarren,RonWyden,andBernieSandershaveexpressedconcernsthatParamountmaybeengaginginimproperconductwiththeTrumpadministrationinexchangeformergerapprovalwithSkydanceMedia[2][4].−Thelawsuitoriginatesfroma2024"60Minutes"interviewwiththen−VicePresidentKamalaHarris,whichTrumpclaimswaseditedtofavorher,aclaimCBShasdenied[5][6].−ThesenatorsarerequestingdetailedinformationaboutanyconcessionsdiscussedwithTrumpandanyinternaldecisionsaffectingCBSprogramming,particularly"60Minutes"[4][5].Group2:CorporateGovernanceandManagementChanges−ShariRedstone,chairofParamountGlobal,isreportedlyeagertosettlethelawsuit,whichcouldimpacttheproposed20 billion defamation lawsuit filed by President Trump against CBS News, with concerns that such a deal may violate US anti-bribery laws [1][2]. Group 1: Legal and Regulatory Concerns - Senators Elizabeth Warren, Ron Wyden, and Bernie Sanders have expressed concerns that Paramount may be engaging in improper conduct with the Trump administration in exchange for merger approval with Skydance Media [2][4]. - The lawsuit originates from a 2024 "60 Minutes" interview with then-Vice President Kamala Harris, which Trump claims was edited to favor her, a claim CBS has denied [5][6]. - The senators are requesting detailed information about any concessions discussed with Trump and any internal decisions affecting CBS programming, particularly "60 Minutes" [4][5]. Group 2: Corporate Governance and Management Changes - Shari Redstone, chair of Paramount Global, is reportedly eager to settle the lawsuit, which could impact the proposed 8 billion merger with Skydance Media, from which she stands to gain approximately $2 billion [7]. - Wendy McMahon, CEO of CBS News, resigned amid internal tensions regarding the handling of the Trump lawsuit, indicating a potential shift in corporate strategy [10][13]. - McMahon's departure follows that of Bill Owens, a longtime executive producer of "60 Minutes," raising concerns about editorial independence within CBS [16][20]. Group 3: Audience and Ratings Context - CBS's evening news program is currently averaging fewer than 4 million viewers, trailing behind competitors ABC and NBC, which have significantly higher viewership [17].