Skydance tells the senators that he was not involved in the cancellation of Colbert “ Late Show ”, respected to anti-corruption laws in Paramount deal
Skydance Media responded to an investigation by three left -wing American senators who have expressed concerns about “corruption” with regard to the Trump administration of its agreement to acquire Paramount – and wondered if Skydance had participated in the cancellation of “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert”.
In a letter of July 21 at the CEO of Skydance, David Ellison, meaning. Elizabeth Warren, Bernie Sanders and Ron Wyden asked a series of sharp questions on the Paramount Skydance agreement. Among these: “Is there currently an arrangement under which you or Skydance will provide compensation, advertising or promotion activities which help in any way President Trump, his family, his presidential library or other leaders of the administration?” The letter also asked: “If you or other Skydance leaders involved in discussions on the cancellation of the late program with Stephen Colbert?”
In a letter sent Thursday in response to the senators, Stephanie Kyoko McKinnon, the Skydance Advocate General and co-chair of commercial operations, said in part: “Throughout his history and during the examination of the proposed acquisition of Paramount, Skydance fully respected all applicable laws, including the anti-transmission laws of our country.”
Skydance was “not involved” in CBS’s decision to cancel “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert”, according to McKinnon. “Paramount gave an opinion of his decision to Skydance [about the show being canceled]But only after Paramount made his own independent decision, and shortly before Paramount publicly recognizes the cancellation. CBS said that the cancellation of Colbert’s issue was “purely a financial decision”.
The Senators’ letter also noted that Trump said that he had a parallel agreement with Skydance under which the new owners of the merged company should contribute $ 20 million in advertising, public service announcements or a “similar programming”. It would be in addition to the payment of $ 16 million in paramount to set up his trial accusing “60 minutes” of deceptive assembly.
In the letter, McKinnon did not directly address the question of whether Skdyance has a “parallel agreement” with the president. She wrote: “Skydance was neither a party to the trial nor the settlement of paramount of his dispute with the president.”
Under the transaction agreement, according to McKinnon, “Paramount has had the full discretion to settle any dispute in progress unrelated to the transaction of up to $ 50 million without the Skydance consent.” On July 1, Paramount asked for the consent of Skydance “to a single particular term relating to the publication of transcriptions of interviews of candidates for the presidential election. Skydance did not think that his consent was required, but accredited at the request of Paramount and provided it, “wrote McKinnon.
“As with any transaction that requires regulatory approval, Skydance leaders and its representatives have had routine and customary interactions with government officials, including with administration, congress and federal regulators,” concluded McKinnon. “We appreciate productive relations at all levels of the government and we are impatient to strengthen them, including with you and your colleagues, in the months and years to come.”
