Wyden, Colleagues Investigate Skydance’s Role in Potential Secret Trump Payoff Connected to Paramount Deal
With Skydance/Paramount merger pending, Skydance reportedly set up secret side deal with Trump worth tens of millions more dollars
Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Ron Wyden, D-Ore., pressed Skydance Media about reports of a secret deal between Skydance and Donald Trump that may be related to Paramount’s recent multi-million-dollar settlement agreement with the Trump administration, in a letter with Senate colleagues.
Skydance and Paramount are awaiting approval from the Trump administration on their proposed mega-merger, raising concerns about potential bribery related to the deal. In May, following reports of a potential settlement in Paramount’s legal battle with Trump, the senators wrote to the company with concerns that its attempt to settle Trump’s “meritless” lawsuit for tens of millions of dollars, while approval for its $8 billion merger with Skydance is pending in front of the Trump administration, could be construed as bribery.
“These reports raise fresh questions about corruption in the Trump administration and President Trump’s willingness to accept payments from entities with significant policy interests before agencies he controls,” the senators wrote in a letter to Skydance Media CEO David Ellison.
Despite warnings from senators that the deal resembled back-door bribery, Paramount reached a $16 million settlement with Trump, a portion of which will go towards his presidential library. Moving funds to the presidential library offers a discrete way for Trump to collect money under the appearance of ‘contributions’. It was later revealed that the arrangement exceeds the original $16 million. The arrangement may involve public service announcements and other broadcast content promoting conservative causes, potentially worth an additional $15 to $20 million – leading to reports of a back-door deal with Skydance. Consequences could include CBS’ decision to cancel The Late Show with Stephen Colbert just days after he publicly criticized Paramount's settlement.
Along with Wyden, the letter was led by Senators Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., and Bernie Sanders, I-Vt.
To understand whether Skydance’s actions complied with federal anti-bribery laws, the senators are requesting answers to the following questions by August 4.
- Is there currently any arrangement under which you or Skydance will provide compensation, advertising, or promotional activities that in any way assist Trump, his family, his presidential library, or other Administration officials?
- Have you personally discussed with Trump, any of his family members, any Trump administration officials, or presidential library fund personnel any matters related to the Paramount-Skydance transaction? If so, what was the nature of these discussions?
- Were you or any other Skydance executives involved in discussions about settling Trump’s lawsuit against CBS? If so, please provide information regarding the timing, nature of, and participants in these discussions, including whether the pending transaction with Paramount was discussed.
- Has Skydance agreed or have you personally agreed to make changes to Skydance’s content or Paramount’s or CBS’s content at the request of the Trump administration, to facilitate approval of the transaction? If so, please describe those requests.
- Were you or other Skydance executives involved in discussions about canceling The Late Show with Stephen Colbert? If so, please provide information regarding the timing, nature of, and participants in these discussions, including whether the pending transaction with Paramount was discussed.
- Does Skydance have any policies, procedures, or guidance related to compliance with 18 U.S.C. 201 or any other laws governing public corruption? If so, please provide a copy of those policies and procedures.
- Does Skydance conduct any training for its staff or executives related to compliance with 18 U.S.C. 201 or any other laws governing public corruption? If so, please provide details regarding these trainings.
In a move to amass more money under the guise of ‘contributions’, at least part of Paramount’s $16 million settlement will go towards Trump’s presidential library. Wyden joined his colleagues to introduce legislation in the Senate and House that would close loopholes allowing presidential libraries to be used as tools for corruption and bribery, including Trump’s potential back-door deal with Skydance.
The full text of the letter is here.
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