CBS News staffers fume as Paramount boss looks to settle ridiculous $10B Trump suit, fear free press ramifications
CBS News staffers are reportedly furious over parent company Paramount Global’s intent to reach a settlement of a $10 billion lawsuit filed by President Donald Trump over a controversial “60 Minutes” interview with former Vice President Kamala Harris.Journalists at The Tiffany Network’s news division are up in arms as Paramount Chairwoman Shari Redstone green-lighted talks with the president’s representatives over a payout, the Status newsletter reported on Friday.President Trump filed a lawsuit in October in which he accused the long-running investigative program “60 Minutes” of manipulating an interview with Harris in a way that was unfavorable to him.Insiders told Status that both CBS News President Wendy McMahon and “60 Minutes” Executive Producer Bill Owens are strongly opposed to settling as staffers fumed that a payout could have negative ramifications for press freedom.Legal experts also have dismissed the lawsuit as meritless.“There is absolutely no reason, from a legal perspective, for CBS to settle — this is a ridiculous case,” First Amendment attorney Theodore Boutrous Jr.
told Status.Nevertheless, Redstone, the 70-year-old daughter of the late media mogul Sumner Redstone, is believed to be eager to put the legal saga behind her in order to boost the odds that Trump administration regulators will rubber-stamp a merger between her company and Skydance Media, according to The New York Times.The Post has sought comment from CBS News and Paramount Global.The heiress to the Redstone family media empire, who is the controlling shareholder of Paramount Global and its parent company National Amusements, also stands to profit handsomely from the merger.As part of the deal, Redstone will receive approximately $350 million from the sale of her 20% stake in National Amusements.Additionally, she is entitled to $180 million in severance and other benefits, which includes a $70 million severance package and a $110 million unfunded pension liabi...