The mediator in President Donald Trump‘s lawsuit against CBS and 60 Minutes has proposed a settlement worth $20 million, according to a report in the Wall Street Journal, just days after court documents filed by the network called the action “meritless” and an attack on the First Amendment.
The proposal is said to include a $17 million donation to Trump’s presidential foundation or museum and $3 million in legal fees and public service announcements on Paramount Global-owned networks to fight antisemitism, the WSJ said, citing people familiar with the situation. The situation is still fluid. Most recently, the Trump team had had asked CBS for a $25 million settlement and an apology. It’s not clear if a mea culpa is part of the latest proposal.
Trump sued CBS for $20 billion in a Texas court in October claiming deceitful editing of a 60 Minutes interview with Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris, later revising the suit to claim the newsmagazine violated state and federal laws typically used to pursue false advertising claims.
The suit and settlement talks have unfolded with a proposed sale of Paramount Global to Skydance Media under review by the FCC, which is led by Trump appointee and loyalist Brendan Carr.
U.S. senators, California lawmakers and public interest groups have threatened to sue Paramount under anti-bribery statutes if the company agrees to settle and controlling shareholder Shari Redstone is concerned about potential legal liability. Par recently brought in law firm Gibson Dunn to assess whether it could offer more than $15 million without putting its directors and top executives at risk of future litigation or criminal charges. Late last year. Disney’s ABC agreed to contribute $15 million to Trump‘s presidential foundation and museum as part of a settlement reached in Trump’s defamation case against the network.
Last week, Trump praised Skydance CEO David Ellison, telling reporters “Ellison’s great” and “he’ll do a great job with it,” referring to the merger. Ellison’s father, billionaire Oracle co-founder and CEO Larry Ellison, was a big supporter of Trump in last year’s election.
A statement to Deadline from a Trump attorney today, however, said the President “is committed to holding those who traffic in fake news, hoaxes, and lies to account. CBS and Paramount targeted the President in an attempt to harm his reputation while committing the worst kind of election interference and fraud in the closing days of the most important presidential election in history. President Trump will pursue this vital matter to its just and rightful conclusion.”
A Paramount spokesperson declined comment.
