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3w ago

Trump Rejects Paramount’s $15M Settlement Offer; California Senate Probes Deal

Investigators are examining potential bribery and competition law violations in settlement talks tied to Paramount’s Skydance merger bid.

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Paramount Global logo is seen in this illustration taken December 17, 2024. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File Photo
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Overview

  • Paramount Global proposed a $15 million settlement to end Donald Trump’s $20 billion lawsuit over alleged deceptive editing of a ‘60 Minutes’ interview with Kamala Harris.
  • Trump declined the offer, insisting on more than $25 million and a formal apology from CBS News for purported election interference.
  • The California State Senate opened an inquiry and invited former CBS News executives Bill Owens and Wendy McMahon to testify on whether the talks breached state bribery and unfair competition laws.
  • Senators Elizabeth Warren, Bernie Sanders and Ron Wyden cautioned that any settlement could violate federal bribery statutes and undermine journalistic independence.
  • Paramount’s bid to resolve the lawsuit coincides with its pursuit of FCC approval for an $8 billion merger with Skydance Media, a process complicated by the ongoing legal dispute.