Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) said that the responses from Skydance and Paramount Global to her and other senators’ queries were “dodgy,” as she called for an independent investigation as to whether there was a “side deal” with Donald Trump.
On Thursday, in a letter to Warren, Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) and Sen. Ron Wyden (D-OR), Skydance’s general counsel Stephanie Kyoko McKinnon wrote that the company was in full compliance with anti-bribery laws as it sought regulatory approval of its acquisition of Paramount Global.
Paramount Global co-CEO George Cheeks also responded to the lawmakers, in a letter that defended the company’s decision to settle Trump’s lawsuit against CBS News over the way that 60 Minutes edited an interview with Kamala Harris. The settlement, Cheeks wrote, was for $16 million, including plaintiffs fees and costs. Other than that, “the entire amount will be allocated to a future non-profit presidential library,” Cheeks wrote.
Neither letter addressed Trump’s claim that the lawsuit settlement also included an additional $16 million in public service and advertising commitments. Trump later said that the figure was $20 million, but it was something that they “anticipate” from the new owners. Paramount Global has asserted that the settlement amount it agreed to was $16 million.
In her latest statement, Warren said, “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.
“The existence of a secret side deal with Skydance is a big open question. President Trump claimed that there was a $16 million side deal. Paramount contradicts President Trump’s claim, while Skydance does not deny the existence of this side deal — and refuses to disclose any terms.”
Spokespersons for Skydance and Paramount Global did not immediately return requests for comment.
Skydance’s McKinnon wrote to the senators, “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.”
McKinnon also wrote that as “with any transaction that requires regulatory approval, Skydance executives and its representatives have had routine and customary interactions with government officials, including with the administration, Congress, and federal regulators.”
Warren, though, said that raised more questions of the meetings between Skydance representatives and members of the administration, and “Who met whom, when, and what other deals were made?”
Warren also noted that Skydance admitted that it “knew in advance” of CBS’s plan to cancel The Late Show with Stephen Colbert. That decision was announced just days after Colbert, in a July 14 monologue, called the Trump settlement a “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,” Warren wrote.
In her letter, McKinnon wrote that Skydance was “not involved” in the decision. She wrote that Paramount did provide notice, “but only after Paramount reached its own independent decision, and shortly before Paramount publicly acknowledged the cancellation.” Last week, in a letter to Sen. Ed Markey (D-MA), Cheeks wrote that the decision was made before Colbert’s July 14 monologue. He also wrote that it “was purely financial and made against a challenging economic backdrop for late night television programming. It was not related in any way to the show’s performance, content or other matters happening at Paramount.”
