Paramount, President Trump reach $16 million settlement over “60 Minutes” lawsuit
Paramount has announced that they have reached a settlement in President Trump’s lawsuit over a “60 Minutes” interview with Kamala Harris, agreeing to pay $16 million. The settlement, reached with the help of a mediator, will allocate the $16 million to Mr. Trump’s future presidential library and cover the plaintiffs’ fees and costs. Notably, neither Mr. Trump nor his co-plaintiff, Texas Rep. Ronny Jackson, will receive direct payment as part of the settlement. Importantly, the settlement did not include an apology.
As part of the agreement, Paramount has agreed that “60 Minutes” will release transcripts of interviews with presidential candidates in the future, with necessary redactions for legal or national security concerns. Mr. Trump’s lawsuit, initially filed last October when he was still a candidate for president, was widely seen as an attack on the First Amendment. The lawsuit was based on a state consumer protection law in Amarillo, Texas, where the sole judge is a 2019 Trump appointee, despite CBS News not being headquartered in Texas, nor the interview taking place there.
Initially seeking $10 billion in damages, Mr. Trump increased his demand to $20 billion in February after adding a federal claim alleging false advertising and unfair competition. Paramount has maintained that the lawsuit was without merit and that “60 Minutes” followed standard editing procedures. The show’s executive producer, Bill Owens, stood behind the interview and refused to apologize. Following the lawsuit, Owens announced his departure from the network, citing a loss of editorial independence.
First Amendment scholars and constitutional experts criticized the lawsuit as a misapplication of the law. Geoffrey R. Stone, a First Amendment scholar at the University of Chicago, explained that the statute cited in the lawsuit pertains to sales and advertising, not journalistic interviews. Harvard professor Noah Feldman called the case an “outrageous violation of First Amendment principles.”
Politicians, including Senators Bernie Sanders, Elizabeth Warren, and Ron Wyden, urged Paramount Global Chair Shari Redstone not to settle. Despite this, settlement talks proceeded without Redstone’s involvement. Mr. Trump expressed his satisfaction with suing CBS and Paramount in a post on Truth Social, urging the FCC to impose fines against CBS for news distortion.
The FCC complaint regarding the news distortion remains open and under investigation. Paramount’s $8.4 billion merger with Skydance Media is pending FCC approval, with the agency yet to make a decision on the transaction. If completed, the merger will mark the end of a tumultuous sales process that attracted multiple bidders and faced delays.
In conclusion, the settlement of President Trump’s lawsuit against Paramount marks a significant development in a complex legal battle that raised concerns about press freedom and the First Amendment. The outcome of this case will likely have lasting implications for media companies and political figures alike.
