House Democrats probe Paramount-Skydance merger over Trump dealings

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Representative Jamie Raskin speaks during a House of Representatives Oversight Committee hearing on the Attempted Assassination of former President Donald J

Trump.Mostafa Bassim | Anadolu | Getty ImagesTwo top House Democrats are investigating whether Paramount and Skydance Media acquiesced to "illegitimate demands" from President Donald Trump in order to win apval for their $8 billion merger."Two wrongs do not make a right," Reps

Jamie Raskin of Maryland and Frank Pallone of New Jersey wrote to David Ellison, CEO of the newly formed Paramount Skydance Corporation, in a letter obtained by CNBC."Illegitimate demands from the [Federal Communications Commission] or the Administration do not absolve your company from wrongdoing," wrote Raskin and Pallone, the top Democrats on the House Judiciary and Energy committees, respectively.The FCC blessed the merger in late July, less than a month after Paramount agreed to a $16 million settlement to end Trump's lawsuit against its subsidiary CBS News over a snippet of a "60 Minutes" interview

The president had claimed the interview was deceptively edited to boost his then-campaign rival, Kamala Harris.The lawsuit was widely criticized as meritless, including by Paramount, which maintained that the show ed a standard editing cess."The settlement raises significant concerns that Donald Trump demanded and Paramount paid an illegal bribe—a $16 million payment to the President in exchange for merger apval from the FCC," the lawmakers' letter read."For both Paramount and Skydance to acquiesce to President Trump's meritless claims in order to consummate the merger demonstrates an extreme disregard to anything that might stand in the way of fit," they wrote.Paramount Skydance did not immediately respond to CNBC's request for on the letter.The letter, dated Wednesday, gives Paramount two weeks to answer questions and vide a slew of internal materials, including "all related communications involving" Trump, the White House, the FCC and the Trump Organization.The lawmakers suggest that Paramount and Skydance, through their dealings with Trump, have violated anti-bribery and corruption clauses in the agreements they filed with the FCC.A sign is seen at the Paramount studios on Aug. 7, 2025 in Los Angeles, California.Eric Thayer | Getty ImagesRaskin and Pallone also noted that Trump, while boasting the settlement, claimed he also expects to get another $20 million in "Advertising, PSAs, or similar gramming" from the "new Owners."News outlets have reported that Skydance sources deny Trump's assertion

But the House Democrats cite reporting that indicates "there is evidence that you had multiple conversations with the President leading up to the deal being apved by the FCC."The reported "side deal" with Trump "was necessarily contingent on the FCC apving the deal and does not appear to present any legitimate value to the public, only to President Trump," they wrote."Therefore, this appears to be an offer of payment and benefits to a government official designed to achieve a specific outcome from the government—in other words, a bribe," the letter reads.Read more CNBC coverageTrump demands Fed’s Cook resign after housing official calls for ‘mortgage fraud’ beTrump has snapped up more than $100 million in bonds since taking officeTrump targets 'woke' museums with Columbia, Harvard playbookTrump expands 50% steel and aluminum tariffs to include 407 additional duct typesChinese national gets 8 years for smuggling weapons, to North Korea'Security guarantees' for Ukraine mean Europe must now fulfill its miseTrump-Zelenskyy meeting paves the way for Ukraine security guarantees, talks with PutinTraders hope the Ukraine war ends soon

Experts say there's no 'quick fix'Trump tells Zelenskyy to end war, echoing Kremlin demands on Crimea and NATOWhite House envoy claims Russia agreed to 'Article 5-' security guarantees for UkraineZelenskyy to meet with Trump after Putin talks end without a ceasefireRaskin and Pallone also point to CBS' recent cancellation of "The Late Show with Stephen Colbert," the tentpole talk show whose host, a vocal Trump critic, called Paramount's settlement a "big fat bribe."And they note reporting that Skydance "agreed to make changes to CBS and its editorial practices that align with the Trump Administration's political agenda" as a condition of the merger.That includes hiring an ombudsman "to police the news organization's editorial choices," which the lawmakers called "a poorly disguised attempt at censoring speech that contradicts the Administration's ideals."At the time the FCC apved the merger, Chairman Brendan Carr said in a statement that Skydance had made "written commitments to ensure that the new company's gramming embodies a diversity of viewpoints from across the political and ideological spectrum."Carr added that the apval of the merger marked a step forward in the FCC's efforts to eliminate DEI efforts.A representative for the Writers Guild of America told CNBC in a statement that it applauded Raskin and Pallone for launching their investigations into the merger."The public deserves transparency the merger and any commitments Paramount and Skydance made to the Trump Administration to secure FCC apval," the statement read.