General Discussion

As Paramount considers settling a lawsuit with Donald Trump, the Freedom of the Press Foundation warns that it will sue over a deal that allegedly “could amount to a bribe.”

Media advocacy group Freedom of the Press Foundation has sent a warning letter to Paramount mogul Shari Redstone, outlining plans to file a lawsuit if the media company settles a suit brought by President Donald Trump against its subsidiary, CBS.
“Corporations that own news outlets should not be in the business of settling baseless lawsuits that clearly violate the First Amendment,” Freedom of the Press Foundation director of advocacy Seth Stern said in a statement.

Stern issued the warning by asking for a litigation hold on Friday afternoon, demanding that Paramount preserve any documents relating to a potential Trump deal and urging the company not to settle. The nonprofit is able to seek damages because it owns shares of Paramount. It plans to act on behalf of itself and other shareholders, alleging that the settlement would amount to the company’s executives “breaching their fiduciary duties and wasting corporate assets by engaging in conduct that US senators and others believe could amount to unlawful bribery that falls outside the scope of the business judgment rule.” The White House and Paramount did not immediately respond to requests for comment.