After Skydance Doesn't Deny ‘Side Deal' With Trump as Part of CBS Settlement, Sen. Warren Repeats Call for Investigation Into Potential ‘Criminal Behavior'
Warren, the senior U.S. senator from Massachusetts, had sent letters to Skydance CEO David Ellison (on July 21) and Paramount Global's three co-CEOs (on May 19), co-signed by Bernie Sanders (I-Vermont) and Ron Wyden (D-Oregon). The senators asked questions about Paramount and CBS's $16 million settlement with President Trump over his '60 Minutes' lawsuit and the Skydance-Paramount merger deal — with the senators suggesting the settlement amounted to a bribe.
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Both Skydance and Paramount replied to the senators in letters dated July 31, with executives from both companies affirming they complied with all laws. But Warren wasn't satisfied with their answers.
'These dodgy responses raise even more questions about whether Paramount and Skydance engaged in corrupt side deals or political favors to get their merger approved — and reveal why we need a full, independent investigation into whether there was any criminal behavior,' Warren said in a statement Friday.
Reps for Paramount Global and Skydance declined to comment.
In the letter to Ellison, the senators noted that Trump has claimed he had a side deal with Skydance under which the new owners of the merged company are expected to contribute $20 million in advertising, public service announcements and 'similar programming' that promote causes he favors. That purportedly would be in addition to Paramount's $16 million payment to settle his lawsuit accusing '60 Minutes' of deceptively editing a pre-election interview with Kamala Harris.
Stephanie Kyoko McKinnon, Skydance's general counsel and co-president of business operations, in her reply to the senators, didn't directly address the question of whether Skdyance has a 'side deal' with the president for free advertising or other airtime. She wrote, 'Skydance was neither a party to the lawsuit nor to Paramount's settlement of its litigation with the President.' Paramount has said that its settlement with Trump 'does not include PSAs or anything related to PSAs.'
Warren on Friday said the alleged 'secret side deal' between Trump and Skydance 'is a big open question.'
'Paramount contradicts President Trump's claim, while Skydance does not deny the existence of this side deal — and refuses to disclose any terms,' Warren said. She added, 'Skydance's statements regarding meetings with not just 'federal regulators' but also 'the Administration' raises serious concerns and more questions: Did the Skydance CEO meet and speak with President Trump or top White House officials? Who met whom, when, and what other deals were made?'
On July 24, the FCC approved the Skydance-Paramount deal, which is now set to close Aug. 7. Two days prior to the agency's approval, Skydance's McKinnon sent letters to FCC Chairman Brendan Carr promising that Skydance would install an ombudsman at CBS to review 'complaints of bias or other concerns' and guaranteeing that the merged Skydance-Paramount would not implement any diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) initiatives.
Paramount Global, Trump and the FCC's Carr have each said the approval of the Paramount-Skydance deal was separate from Trump's lawsuit against CBS. Skydance's McKinnon wrote in her July 31 reply, 'Throughout its history and during the review of the proposed acquisition of Paramount, Skydance has fully complied with all applicable laws, including our nation's anti-bribery laws.'
The senators also asked Ellison if he or other Skydance execs were involved in CBS's decision to cancel 'The Late Show with Stephen Colbert.' According to McKinnon, Skydance was not part of that decision. 'Paramount did provide notice of its decision to Skydance [about Colbert's show being canceled], but only after Paramount reached its own independent decision, and shortly before Paramount publicly acknowledged the cancellation,' she wrote. CBS said the cancellation of Colbert's show was 'purely a financial decision' and has said Skydance did not participate in the decision.
In response, Warren said, 'Skydance admits it knew in advance that Paramount canceled the 'Late Show With Stephen Colbert,' just days after Colbert called out Paramount for its 'big fat bribe.' These giant corporations must think Americans are fools if they think these half-answers resolve serious questions about whether they bribed their way to a merger approval.'
In their July 31 reply to the senators' inquiry, Paramount co-CEOs George Cheeks, Brian Robbins and Chris McCarthy wrote that, regarding the $16 million settlement, the entire amount (except for fees and costs) will be allocated to a future non-profit presidential library. 'No amount will be paid directly or indirectly to President Trump… personally,' they said.
'The settlement does not include a statement of apology or regret, or a commitment to air public service announcements (PSAs) and expressly recognizes that we stand by our reporting. There are no other material terms to the settlement,' Cheeks, Robbins and McCarthy wrote.
The Paramount execs also referred to comments made by Cheeks, who also serves as CEO of CBS, at the Paramount Global shareholder meeting on July 2, when he said in part: 'Companies often settle litigation to avoid the high and somewhat unpredictable cost of legal defense, the risk of an adverse judgment that could result in significant financial, as well as reputational damage, and the disruption to business operations that prolonged legal battles can cause.'
According to the Paramount execs, the company 'did not alter its oversight of '60 Minutes' or block any '60 Minutes' content to facilitate approval of the proposed transaction.' They noted that in January 2025, Paramount appointed Susan Zirinsky as interim executive editor of CBS News with 'responsibility for standards throughout the news organization, including '60 Minutes.'' They said Zirinsky's appointment and 'other personnel decisions' involving CBS News were 'unrelated to the litigation or the proposed merger.'
In April, Bill Owens, just the third executive producer of '60 Minutes,' announced he would leave the show. Owens cited interference from Paramount execs as preventing him from making 'independent decisions based on what was right for '60 Minutes,' right for the audience.'
The Paramount co-CEO's letter is available at this link, and the Skydance letter is at this link.
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