Paramount's settlement with President Donald Trump over allegations of selectively editing a taped interview with former Vice President Kamala Harris has several high-ranking Democrats vowing to file federal bribery charges.
"Paramount just paid Trump a bribe for merger approval. When Democrats retake power, I'll be first in line calling for federal charges. In the meantime, state prosecutors should make the corporate execs who sold out our democracy answer in court," Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., posted Wednesday on X.
Earlier in the day, Paramount agreed to pay $16 million to Trump to settle a lawsuit regarding CBS' "60 Minutes" interview with Harris in the run-up to the 2024 presidential election.
Trump alleged the interview was carefully manipulated to make Harris appear more eloquent, while the defendants rejected the accusation and tried to get the case dismissed.
The settlement ends a months-long legal dispute that began with Trump suing CBS and Paramount for $10 billion and a subsequent complaint filed by the Federal Communications Commission over the Harris interview. The suit came in the midst of a potential merger between Paramount and Skydance Media that will require FCC approval.
Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., also released a statement condemning the payment, writing:
"With Paramount folding to Donald Trump at the same time the company needs his administration's approval for its billion-dollar merger, this could be bribery in plain sight. Paramount has refused to provide answers to a congressional inquiry, so I'm calling for a full investigation into whether or not any anti-bribery laws were broken."
A spokesman for Trump's legal team released a statement following the settlement that read:
"With this record settlement, President Donald J. Trump delivers another win for the American people as he, once again, holds the Fake News media accountable for their wrongdoing and deceit. CBS and Paramount Global realized the strength of this historic case and had no choice but to settle. President Trump will always ensure that no one gets away with lying to the American People as he continues on his singular mission to Make America Great Again."
In May, Wyden and Warren, along with Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., sent a letter to Paramount Chair Shari Redstone warning the company that the talk of a settlement with Trump "may be engaging in improper conduct involving the Trump Administration in exchange for approval of its merger with Skydance Media."
James Morley III ✉
James Morley III is a writer with more than two decades of experience in entertainment, travel, technology, and science and nature.