Paramount Pays $16 Million to Settle Defamation Lawsuit Filed by Trump Against "60 Minutes"

Paramount" has agreed to pay $16 million to settle the defamation lawsuit filed by US President Donald Trump against the program "60 Minutes" and the network "CBS", as reported by The New York Times.

The settlement was announced on the evening of Tuesday, July 1, with "Paramount" stating that the amount will cover the legal costs incurred by Trump, with the net amount after deductions to be directed to the "Future Presidential Library of Trump". The settlement did not include any official apology from the network.

Trump filed the lawsuit last year, accusing "60 Minutes" of "deceptive editing" in an interview with former Vice President Kamala Harris, with the aim of "interfering in the presidential elections". He claimed that the network favored the Democratic Party through "editorial bias", a claim that Paramount denied categorically and in detail.

Although legal experts described the lawsuit as "weak", pointing out that the First Amendment protects press freedom, Paramount's board chair Shari Redstone preferred to settle. The New York Times revealed that the decision was influenced by concerns about disrupting the company's sale deal to Skydance Studios worth billions of dollars, which may require potential government approval in the Trump era.

Redstone also expressed concern about the potentially costly long legal battle that could reach hundreds of millions and affect government-facing divisions of the company. She expressed dismay at the "editorial judgment" of the "CBS" network, according to internal sources.

The settlement sparked controversy within "CBS", with some journalists considering it a blow to the reputation of the program known for investigative reporting. Former executive producer of "60 Minutes" Bill Owens previously resigned due to disagreements over handling Trump's attacks, followed by news division president Wendy McMahon.

In Washington, Senators Elizabeth Warren and Bernie Sanders warned that the payment could be seen as a "bribe", threatening to hold a congressional hearing. The "Freedom of the Press Foundation" also announced its intention to file a lawsuit on behalf of Paramount shareholders if the settlement goes through, affirming that the legal repercussions could be far-reaching.

This is not the first time a news network has paid compensation to Trump, as "ABC" paid $16 million last December to settle a similar defamation case.