Wyden, Colleagues Investigate Skydance’s Role in Potential Secret Trump Payoff Connected to Paramount Deal

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’slegal battle with Trump, the senatorswrote tothe 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 laterrevealedthat 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 couldincludeCBS’ 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.
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. Wydenjoinedhis 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 ishere.