(AFP) – Three US senators said Tuesday they had written to Paramount over its efforts to settle President Donald Trump’s lawsuit against its news division, suggesting that the entertainment giant risks violating bribery laws. The trio warned Paramount Global Chair Shari Redstone that the company “may be engaging in improper conduct involving the Trump administration in exchange for approval of its merger with Skydance Media.”
Trump’s lawsuit argues that the editing of a CBS News “60 Minutes” interview with his 2024 election rival Kamala Harris was biased in her favor and “deceptive.” It is described by Trump’s critics as part of a broader assault on press freedom that has seen him bar the Associated Press from the Oval Office and sue other media organizations over their coverage. Paramount nevertheless entered into mediation in a bid to placate Trump as it seeks to close its $8 billion merger with the entertainment company Skydance, which needs federal government approval.
“Paramount appears to be attempting to appease the administration in order to secure merger approval,” wrote Democrats Elizabeth Warren and Ron Wyden, plus independent Bernie Sanders. Republicans control both chambers of Congress, limiting the power of Democrats to investigate or compel answers from witnesses. The senators’ letter comes after CBS News head Wendy McMahon and “60 Minutes” executive producer Bill Owens announced they were quitting over Paramount’s handling of the showdown with Trump.
Warren, Wyden, and Sanders noted that the company had initially called the suit “completely without merit” and had sought to have it dismissed. “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,” they wrote.
Trump accuses CBS of airing two different snippets from the same answer the then-vice president gave about Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, to help her in her election campaign. The Republican billionaire — who is seeking at least $20 billion in damages — sued last October, alleging that the interview violated a Texas consumer protection law. Legal experts have argued that the lawsuit would be an easy victory for CBS if it ever came to court.
The network — which has made public an unedited transcript of the Harris interview — didn’t respond immediately to a request for comment but has denied any wrongdoing. Media watchers have pointed out that Trump routinely takes part in interviews that are edited for all manner of reasons.
© 2024 AFP
