Sen. Elizabeth Warren questions whether $16 million Paramount settlement with Trump was bribery

Sen. Elizabeth Warren is questioning whether the $16 million settlement President Trump won against Paramount Global is “bribery in plain sight” to obtain the administration’s approval of its proposed merger.

Mr. Trump sued the CBS News parent company for $20 billion over the “60 Minutes” interview the outlet conducted with then-Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris, his then-election rival. 

The lawsuit alleged that CBS edited the interview and tried to “tip the scales in favor of the Democratic Party” with its “partisan and unlawful acts of election and voter interference through malicious, deceptive, and substantial news distortion calculated to confuse, deceive, and mislead the public.”

“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,” said Ms. Warren, Massachusetts Democrat. “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.”

The money will go to Mr. Trump’s future presidential library and to pay his legal fees. The company will also not be apologizing or expressing regret about the story. And, in the future, “60 Minutes” must promptly release full transcripts of the interviews it conducts with presidential candidates.

Ms. Warren said the company’s settlement “exposes a glaring need for rules to restrict donations to sitting presidents’ libraries” and she will be introducing legislation to “rein in” any corruption occurring through donations to presidential libraries.

“The Trump administration’s level of sheer corruption is appalling and Paramount should be ashamed of putting its profits over independent journalism,” she said.

Ms. Warren, along with Sens. Bernie Sanders, Vermont independent, and Ron Wyden, Oregon Democrat, wrote a letter to Shari Redstone, chair of Paramount, expressing their concerns over whether Paramount may be engaging in illegal conduct with the Trump administration to secure its merger with Skydance Media.

During the October 2024 interview, Ms. Harris was asked a question by host Bill Whitaker about the Israel-Hamas war, but clips aired on “60 Minutes” and “Face the Nation” showed her giving different answers. 

Both answers were part of one big response that Ms. Harris gave. The outlet posted the transcript on its website earlier this year and defended the interview, saying that the uncut transcript shows that the interview was “not doctored or deceitful.”

“In reporting the news, journalists regularly edit interviews – for time, space, or clarity. In making these edits, 60 Minutes is always guided by the truth and what we believe will be most informative to the viewing public – all while working within the constraints of broadcast television,” the network said.

CBS journalists were not happy with the company’s decision to settle. CBS News President and CEO Wendy McMahon and “60 Minutes” executive producer Bill Owens resigned in May and April, respectively, citing disagreements with the company’s path and the loss of independent decision-making.

In a letter to Paramount’s leadership in May, “60 Minutes” correspondents, including Mr. Whitaker,  Lesley Stahl, Scott Pelley, Anderson Cooper, Sharyn Alfonsi, Jon Wertheim and Cecilia Vega, said they were concerned about reports saying that the company might settle “in a way that acknowledges some sort of wrongdoing on our part.”

The letter, obtained by The Associated Press, said that if the company “caves in to his pressure and lies, it will leave a shameful stain and undermine the First Amendment.” 

The Writers Guild of America East, which represents the journalists, said “Paramount’s decision to capitulate to Trump threatens journalists’ ability to do their job reporting on powerful public figures.”

• This story is based in part on wire service reports.