According to two people on the decision, lawyers for Paramount and President Trump have agreed to appoint mediators in a $20 billion lawsuit against CBS.
The move to bring in mediators is another indicator that both parties are trying to resolve cases surrounding compiling a “60-minute” interview with Vice President Kamala Harris outside the courtroom. The mediators can help them reach a settlement, but it is not certain whether they will.
Paramount declined to comment. Trump's lawyer, Ed Palzik, said in a statement:
Trump sued CBS days before the 2024 election, accusing him of a seemingly compilation of interviews with Democratic opponents. He later amended the case to include Paramount as another defendant.
CBS parent company Paramount has launched settlement talks with Trump this year. These talks have led to CBS News employees being strongly opposed to any settlement, creating discrepancies in Paramount. “60 Minutes” executive producer Bill Owens told show staff this month he would not apologise as part of a future settlement after the New York Times reported that settlement talks with Trump were ongoing.
The lawsuit complicates Paramount's merger with Skydance. This is a deal that unites a promising media startup, backed by tech tycoon Larry Ellison with the golden Hollywood studio behind “The Godfather” and “Rosemary Baby.” The multi-billion dollar deal attacked last year would end the Redstone family's decades-long run over paint with Ellison and son David Paramount.
The settlement debate sparked fear among media lawyers that Trump and his allies would file or threaten more lawsuits against the press.
Many Paramount executives believe that by resolving the lawsuit, the Trump administration will increase the likelihood that it did not block or delay the merger with Skydance. In particular, if Trump wins in court and wins a big decision, refraining from the opportunity to settle can also lead to shareholder litigation.
Still, Paramount executives are concerned that a settlement with Trump could lead to legal liabilities that are not covered by traditional corporate insurance contracts, according to those familiar with the concerns.
The Wall Street Journal previously reported potential legal liabilities.
Last week, filed in federal court in Texas, documenting the roadmap for the legal battle between Paramount and Trump. According to the filing, the parties must attempt to mediate by December 20th. If you do not agree with the mediator, you must ask the court to be appointed at least 14 days before the mediation deadline.
CBS provided a transcript of Harris' interview to the Federal Communications Commission, which later made it public. In a statement on the CBS News website, the company said the transcript showed that the “60-minute broadcast is “not a doctor or a deceitful CE.”
David Enrich contributed the report.
