The California State Senate has launched a formal investigation into Paramount Global, suspecting the media conglomerate of attempting to bribe President Donald Trump to settle a $20 billion lawsuit and secure regulatory approval for its $8 billion merger with Skydance Media.
On Friday, May 30, 2025, state lawmakers summoned former 60 Minutes executive producer Bill Owens and ex-CBS News president Wendy McMahon to testify, aiming to uncover the inner workings of Paramount’s controversial settlement talks with Trump.
The probe, initiated by the Senate Energy, Utilities & Communications Committee and the Senate Judiciary Committee, centers on whether Paramount’s actions violate California’s bribery and unfair competition laws.
The investigation follows reports that Paramount offered Trump’s 2024 campaign $15 million to drop his lawsuit against CBS, a subsidiary of Paramount, over an allegedly deceptively edited 60 Minutes interview with Kamala Harris.
California, a staunchly Democratic state with a long history of opposition to Trump, views the situation as more than political maneuvering.
State Senators Josh Becker and Thomas Umberg, leading the inquiry, argue that Paramount’s willingness to pay Trump could constitute a quid pro quo to influence the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), which must approve the transfer of CBS broadcast licenses for the Skydance merger.
The senators’ letter to Owens and McMahon seeks evidence of internal objections to the settlement, any editorial interference driven by merger concerns, and whether Paramount leadership acknowledged the lawsuit’s lack of merit but pursued a settlement to appease Trump.
Paramount’s predicament is stark. The company has been battered by the lawsuit, which many legal experts deem baseless, accusing 60 Minutes of editing Harris’s interview to make her appear more competent. Despite CBS’s initial defense of its First Amendment rights, Paramount’s reported pivot to settlement talks has sparked outrage among CBS journalists and press freedom advocates.
The resignations of Owens and McMahon, both of whom opposed the settlement, underscore the internal turmoil, with Owens citing a loss of editorial independence and McMahon noting irreconcilable differences with Paramount’s direction.
The California Senate’s investigation echoes concerns raised by U.S. Senators Elizabeth Warren, Bernie Sanders, and Ron Wyden, who warned Paramount chair Shari Redstone on May 20, 2025, that settling with Trump could violate federal anti-bribery laws under 18 U.S.C. 201, which prohibits giving anything of value to a public official to influence an official act.
The Freedom of the Press Foundation has also threatened a shareholder lawsuit if Paramount settles, calling it a “thinly veiled effort to launder bribes through the court system.”
Paramount appears caught between a rock and a hard place. The Skydance merger, already delayed by a caustic political environment, hinges on FCC approval under Trump-appointed Chair Brendan Carr, who has linked the 60 Minutes controversy to the merger review despite later claiming the lawsuit and merger are separate.
Critics argue Paramount is desperate to end the ordeal, even at the cost of its journalistic integrity, to secure the merger and avoid further financial and legal fallout. However, this strategy risks alienating its audience, staff, and regulators in California, where anti-Trump sentiment runs deep, potentially amplifying the scandal.
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The Senate’s probe could have far-reaching implications, not just for Paramount but for the broader media landscape, raising questions about the chilling effect of politically motivated lawsuits on investigative journalism. As California digs deeper, Paramount’s gamble to placate Trump may come at a steep cost, positioning the company as a scapegoat in a high-stakes battle over power, press freedom, and political influence.
