Updated
Updated · The New York Times · Sep 12
Paramount Pays Trump $16 Million to Settle '60 Minutes' Lawsuit as Merger Won Approval
Updated
Updated · The New York Times · Sep 12

Paramount Pays Trump $16 Million to Settle '60 Minutes' Lawsuit as Merger Won Approval

3 articles · Updated · The New York Times · Sep 12

Summary

  • $16 million ended Donald Trump's lawsuit accusing CBS's “60 Minutes” of editing an interview to help Kamala Harris before the 2024 election.
  • Paramount agreed to the settlement even though many lawyers viewed the case as frivolous, according to the report.
  • The payment came while Paramount was nearing a sale to David Ellison, whose father Larry Ellison is friendly with Trump.
  • Shortly after the settlement, the Trump administration approved the Paramount deal, tying the newsroom dispute to broader corporate and political pressure around CBS.

Insights

Did a massive corporate settlement quietly guarantee government approval for a media merger, or was it merely a coincidence?
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