Warren, Sanders, Wyden Open Investigation Into Whether Paramount Is Engaging in Bribery With Trump for Approval of $8 Billion Megamerger
Yesterday, President of CBS News, Subsidiary of Paramount, Departed Amid Tensions with Trump and Paramount Global Chair Shari Redstone
“If Paramount officials make these concessions in a quid pro quo arrangement to influence President Trump or other Administration officials, they may be breaking the law.”
Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senators Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), and Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) wrote to Shari Redstone, Chair of Paramount Global (Paramount), with concerns regarding whether Paramount may be engaging in potentially illegal conduct involving the Trump Administration in exchange for approval of its megamerger with Skydance Media (Skydance).
In October 2024, President Trump, in his capacity as a private citizen, sued Paramount subsidiary CBS over alleged “partisan and unlawful acts of election and voter interference.” In March 2025, CBS filed a motion to dismiss the lawsuit, calling the suit “an affront to the First Amendment and … without basis in law or fact.” Now, Paramount appears to be walking back its commitments to defend CBS’s First Amendment rights. Paramount is reportedly in talks to settle the lawsuit, with President Trump potentially profiting from the settlement.
The senators are pushing Paramount to answer why the company has suddenly changed its tune with respect to the lawsuit, concerned that it may be because Paramount and Skydance’s agreement to merge for $8 billion hinges on the Trump Administration’s Federal Communications Commission (FCC), which has an opportunity to block it.
“Paramount appears to be attempting to appease the Administration in order to secure merger approval,” wrote the senators.
In addition to reportedly attempting to settle the suit, Paramount also appears to have begun meddling with CBS’s content, “presumably in order to screen it for content that could anger the Trump Administration.”
A 60 Minutes correspondent told viewers, “Our parent company Paramount is trying to complete a merger. The Trump Administration must approve it. Paramount began to supervise our content in new ways.” This has prompted CBS resignations, including by the CBS News President, Wendy McMahon, who resigned just yesterday.
“If Paramount officials make these concessions in a quid pro quo arrangement to influence President Trump or other Administration officials, they may be breaking the law,” wrote the senators.
Under the federal bribery statute, it is illegal to corruptly give anything of value to public officials to influence an official act. To determine whether Paramount is acting in accordance with anti-bribery laws, the senators are requesting answers from the company.
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