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Investigate Trump's Extortion of Media Companies (UPDATED 9/8)

Updates

Sept 8, 2025: Paramount has selected Kenneth R. Weinstein, Trump donor and former head of a right-wing think tank, to serve as the media bias watchdog for CBS News.

August 22, 2025: Ranking Members of the House Judiciary Committee and House Energy & Commerce Committee, Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-MD) and Rep. Frank Pallone (D-NJ), have launched an investigation into Trump’s potential involvement in the Paramount-Skydance deal.

August 9, 2025: The FCC approved the Paramount-Skydance merger deal under the conditions that CBS News must appoint an FCC “bias monitor” and eliminate all DEI messaging and initiatives.

In October 2024, Trump personally sued CBS and its parent company Paramount for ‘election interference’, but despite calling the lawsuit meritless, Paramount settled and agreed to pay $16 million towards Trump’s presidential library. Three weeks after the Paramount settlement, and the controversial cancellation of Stephen Colbert’s CBS late night show, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) approved the pending $8 billion merger between Paramount and Skydance.

The timing of the Paramount settlement, as well as reports of additional promises made to Trump by Skydance CEO David Ellison, have raised questions about potential bribery from U.S. Senators Warren, Sanders, and Wyden. Trump has sued and received “donations” to his presidential library from a number of media companies, including ABC, Meta, and Twitter/X. He has also openly threatened to file more lawsuits should news organizations continue publishing stories he dislikes.

Trump’s legal actions and threats against media companies not only silences journalists and threatens our constitutional freedom of the press, it is indicative of blatant corruption and extortion. Demand your representatives call for an immediate investigation into the Paramount deal and Trump’s authoritarian takeover of the news media.

Contacts for this topic:

Hi, my name is [NAME] and I’m a constituent from [CITY, ZIP].

I’m calling to urge [REP/SEN NAME] to support investigations into Trump’s continued extortion of media companies. Trump’s legal threats against news sources not only threatens our freedom of the press, but it also paves the way for open bribery.

Thank you for your time and consideration.

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