The Trump administration just approved Paramount’s $8 billion merger with Skydance. This looks like bribery and corruption, and I’ll tell you why.
Let’s rewind to 2024 when Trump sued CBS. At the time, CBS called this “meritless.” Three months later, Trump became president. And instead of fighting the case, CBS’s parent company, Paramount, settled the lawsuit.
Right out in public, they handed $16 million directly into some future Trump presidential library.
Why would Paramount fold when it looked like they were going to win this case? This merger was in talks at the time. And who needed to approve that deal for it to go through? Donald Trump’s government.
This fishy settlement was what Colbert called out on The Late Show last week. Then his show was coincidentally canceled three days later. They said this was a “purely financial decision.” Sure…
I’ve been investigating Paramount’s potential corruption for months. Now that this deal has gone through, I’m calling for an urgent, independent investigation into any criminal behavior.
Every single one of us needs to show Trump and CEOs that we see what they are doing here, and we will not be silenced. Add your name if you’re with me, and believe that the American people deserve answers and accountability.
This deal lets every other billionaire and company know that Trump is open for business — apparently happy to accept offers in exchange for favors. On top of that, this deal is bad for competition and could make it more expensive for you to stream your favorite TV show.
The Paramount payoff is part of a corrupt pattern of Trump exploiting the power of the presidency both to profit personally and to punish his perceived enemies.
ABC News handed over $15 million to Trump’s library in a settlement, Meta dumped $22 million into the library to settle a lawsuit — and now Trump is running the same play again, suing the Wall Street Journal over an article that exposed details about his relationship with Jeffrey Epstein.
The billionaires who run these major media companies may decide that it is in their own financial interests to ease up on criticism of Trump, but if they do so, they forfeit the critical role that the media has played in our democracy. This is deeply concerning. And they owe the American public frank answers.
I’m fighting back by introducing my Presidential Library Anti-Corruption Act, which would bar sitting presidents from accepting donations to their presidential libraries. I’m demanding transparency into the Paramount-Skydance merger and conducting oversight into what happened here. And I won’t let up on raising the alarm when we see what looks like bribery in plain sight.
Democrats need to embrace the fight against corruption as a top priority. Republicans need to grow a spine and get behind common-sense anti-corruption measures. All of us must speak up on this. Every threat, use of intimidation, and potential bribe undermines our democracy as it moves Trump closer to absolute control.
Add your name to demand answers on what looks like Paramount buying the president’s favor in what’s just the latest example of Trump suppressing speech, abusing his power, and enriching himself.
Thanks for being a part of this,
Elizabeth  |
