WASHINGTON—In response to news that Paramount Global has agreed to pay $16 million to settle a lawsuit by President Donald Trump, Democrats and other administration critics of the administration blasted deal and called for the full Federal Communications Commission to vote on the pending Paramount-Skydance merger.
“This moment marks a dangerous precedent for the First Amendment, and it should alarm anyone who values a free and independent press,” Anna Gomez, the sole Democratic FCC commissioner, said in a statement. “Despite repeated attempts to deny the obvious, this Paramount Payout is a desperate move to appease the Administration and secure regulatory approval of a major transaction currently pending before the FCC.
“For months, it has been clear that this lawsuit was entirely meritless, just like the complaint now before the Commission,“ Gomez continued. “The transcript and video of the ‘60 Minutes’ interview with Vice President Harris show no evidence of wrongdoing, only the standard editorial judgments used across the news industry to ensure clarity and brevity. Had Paramount chosen to fight this in court, they would have prevailed on the facts and the law.
“But instead of standing on principle, Paramount opted for a payout,” Gomez continued. “That decision now casts a long shadow over the integrity of the transaction pending before the FCC. Given the extraordinary public interest in this deal, the novel legal questions raised by the lawsuit and its resolution, and the repeated calls from lawmakers for transparency, I once again urge the FCC to bring this matter before the full Commission for a vote. Approving this transaction behind closed doors and under the cover of bureaucratic process would be a shameful outcome that denies the American people the transparency and accountability they deserve, especially when press freedom is at stake.”
In a separate statement, Sen. Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.) also attacked the settlement and repeated his earlier demands for a full FCC vote on the Paramount-Skydance deal.
“Paramount’s decision to pay $16 million to settle Trump's baseless lawsuit is a blow to journalistic independence,” Markey said. “With the FCC currently reviewing Paramount's merger with Skydance, this timing also raises serious questions about FCC independence and Paramount's true reason for settling with Trump. The public deserves to have complete confidence that the FCC's merger review is free from political interference. For that reason, the FCC must proceed with the utmost transparency, and Chairman Carr must hold a full Commission vote on the merger. I will be watching the Commission’s next steps very closely.”
That statement echoes a letter sent in May of 2025 by Markey and Sen. Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.) to FCC Chair Brendan Carr, a Republican, urging the FCC to take a vote on the merger between Paramount Global and Skydance Media.
In March 2025, Markey and Luján, along with Sen. Jacky Rosen (D-Nev.), also introduced the Broadcast Freedom and Independence Act, legislation that would prohibit the FCC from revoking broadcast licenses or taking action against broadcasters based on the viewpoints they broadcast.
In a statement to Deadline, a Paramount Global spokesperson defended the settlement, saying: “Companies often settle litigation to avoid the high and somewhat unpredictable costs of legal defense, the risk of an adverse judgment that could result in significant financial or reputational damage, and the disruption to business operations that prolonged legal battles can cause. Settlement offers a negotiated resolution that allows companies to focus on their core objectives rather than being mired in uncertainty and distraction.”
At Paramount’s July 2 annual meeting, co-CEO George Cheeks also defended the settlement, according to published reports. “Yes, the company has agreed in principle to settle the lawsuit, and as reported, it does not include an apology,” Cheeks said. “Now as to the why? Look, 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.”
News that Paramount was looking to settle the suit had prompted widespread criticism of the company from inside CBS News, with several senior executives resigning, including “60 Minutes” Executive Producer Bill Owens.
Last week, the conservative editorial board of The Wall Street Journal took the unusual step of urging Paramount not to settle the suit and in May, Sens. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) sent a letter to Paramount Global chair Shari Redstone opposing any settlement. Both the Journal and the senators said settling the lawsuit would raise issues relating to bribery.
“We write to express serious concern regarding the possibility that media company Paramount Global (Paramount) may be engaging in improper conduct involving the Trump Administration in exchange for approval of its megamerger with Skydance Media (Skydance),” the letter from the senators said. “Paramount appears to be trying to settle a lawsuit that it has assessed as ‘completely without merit,’ and moderating the content of its programs in order to obtain approval of this merger. Under the federal bribery statute, it is illegal to corruptly give anything of value to public officials to influence an official act. If Paramount officials make these concessions in a quid pro quo arrangement to influence President Trump or other Administration officials, they may be breaking the law. We request information regarding whether Paramount is making concessions to President Trump in exchange for favorable action by his Administration."
