A group of eight Democratic U.S. senators sent a letter to David Ellison, chairman and CEO of Paramount Skydance, asking him to “preserve all records related to the proposed Paramount-Warner Bros. Discovery transaction” and demanding answers about how the company engaged with President Trump and the White House in its hostile takeover bid for WBD.
The letter was sent by Sen. Cory Booker (D.J.), Democratic Leader Sen. Chuck Schumer (D.Y.), Minority Whip Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), and Democratic Leader Sen. Chuck Schumer (D.Y.). It was sent to Mr. Ellison by Sens. Lizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Maisie Hirono (D-Hawaii), and Peter Welch. (D-Vermont). The full text of the letter can be found at this link.
A Paramount Skydance spokesperson declined to immediately comment.
Warner Bros. Discovery announced Tuesday that it will hold seven days of discussions with Paramount to “seek clarity” on its “best and final offer” in the hostile takeover effort. This negotiation period, approved by Netflix, ends on February 23rd. Paramount’s latest offer was $30 per share. WBD said it will begin negotiations to see if Paramount will formally raise its bid above $31 per share. At the same time, WBD said it remains committed to its $83 billion deal with Netflix at this time and recommended that shareholders vote in favor of the deal at a special meeting on March 20.
Ellison previously declined an invitation to testify before the Senate Judiciary Committee’s Subcommittee on Antitrust, Competition Policy, and Consumer Rights. The subcommittee held a hearing on February 3, during which Ted Sarandos, co-CEO of Netflix, and Bruce Campbell, chief revenue strategy officer of Warner Bros. Discovery, testified under intense questioning.
After the hearing, Booker requested written testimony from Ellison and asked him to provide “insight on the proposed sale of Warner Bros. Discovery and Paramount’s parallel bid, and to address concerns about political interference in the merger review process,” according to a press release from the senators. But “Mr. Ellison’s response failed to address these issues,” they said. They included questions about whether Mr. Ellison had ever donated money to Mr. Trump, directly or indirectly, and whether there had been any communication of personal interest to Mr. Trump regarding a potential merger between Paramount and WBD.
In their letter to Ellison, the senators noted that Paramount Skydance announced last week that it had certified “substantial compliance” with the Department of Justice’s second request for information, dated Dec. 23, 2025, initiating a 10-day waiting period for the Department’s review. “This announcement expresses strong confidence that Paramount will secure ‘the necessary permits quickly and efficiently,’ because it estimates that the acquisition will not raise ‘any competitive concerns,'” the senators wrote. This pattern of avoidance, coupled with Paramount’s apparent confidence that it can easily clear politically sensitive deals, warrants serious scrutiny. ”
The senators went on to say, “In light of these developments, and in accordance with both preservation obligations and Congress’s additional oversight responsibilities in the event of potential litigation surrounding proposed acquisitions, this letter serves as a notice to preserve records related to the proposed Paramount-Warner Bros. Discovery transaction.”
Last summer, President Trump claimed to have signed a side deal with Skydance under which the new owner of the merged Paramount Skydance would commit $20 million to advertising, public service announcements and “similar programming” promoting causes he supports. This is in addition to the $16 million paid by Paramount Global to settle Trump’s lawsuit accusing “60 Minutes” of falsely editing a pre-election interview with Kamala Harris. Mr. Ellison declined to confirm or deny whether such “ancillary transactions” existed.
President Trump slammed the Ellisons on “60 Minutes” in December, writing in a Dec. 16 post on his Truth Social account: “To those who consider themselves close to the new owners of CBS, please understand that 60 Minutes has treated me far worse than they have ever treated me since the so-called ‘takeover.’ If they are my friends, I don’t want to meet them!” In an interview with NBC News earlier this month, after previously saying he would be “involved” in reviewing Netflix’s contract with the World Bank, Trump said, “I decided I shouldn’t be involved. The Department of Justice will handle it.”
The senators asked Ellison to acknowledge receipt of the Feb. 19 letter and to respond to a list of questions by Feb. 26 to “investigate allegations that he used behind-the-scenes personal relationships to improperly influence merger approval.”
The senators directed Paramount to preserve the following documents:
All communications, information, and documents related to Paramount’s proposed acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery and the Department of Justice’s second request for information. This includes communications with President Donald Trump, his family, or individuals associated with or associated with President Trump. Administration officials, including political appointees at the White House and the Department of Justice. Officials from the Antitrust Division of the Department of Justice. All communications, information and documents relating to lobbyists and other intermediaries retained on behalf of Paramount or acting as advocates on behalf of Paramount in connection with the proposed transaction. This includes any current or former member of the Trump administration or any company associated with President Trump or his family. All communications, information, and documents related to donations and other contributions made directly or indirectly to President Trump, his causes, or interests, through political action committees or other outside organizations. All communications, information, documents, and other records related to news and content decisions at CBS. Reflects the actual or perceived influence of members of the Trump administration or lobbyists and other agents involved in the proposed transaction. This includes records that reflect concerns and perceptions about how members of the Trump administration perceive these decisions.
Below are some of the questions that senators asked Mr. Ellison to answer in writing.
Has your father, Larry Ellison, had any contact with President Trump or administration officials regarding the proposed acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery, including discussions about the merits of an acquisition by Paramount and Skydance? Please describe, to the best of your knowledge, the individuals involved and the nature, date, and content of any such communications. Have you, or anyone acting on your or Paramount’s behalf, provided any suggestion, communication, or assurance to President Trump or his agents that Paramount will make changes to CNN in connection with or in exchange for the proposed acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery? Please describe the individuals involved and the nature, date, and content of any such communication. You, or someone representing you or Paramount regarding Paramount’s $16 million settlement of a lawsuit related to then-Vice President and presidential candidate Kamala Harris’ “60 Minutes” interview in connection with the discussion of the proposed acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery. Have any of you interacted with President Trump or administration officials? Please provide the dates on which you or your representatives or Paramount representatives visited the White House to meet with President Trump or members of the administration and the purpose of each visit. You, or anyone acting on your behalf, on behalf of Paramount: February 12, 2026 Did you have prior knowledge or contact with administration officials about the firing of Assistant Attorney General for Antitrust Law Gale Slater prior to the announcement of the date? Have you, or anyone on your behalf or anyone on behalf of Paramount, made any donations or other contributions, directly or indirectly, to President Trump or his causes or interests, through political action committees or other outside organizations? For each contribution, please identify the recipient, amount, date, and method of contribution. Have any lobbyists or other intermediaries who have continued to act on behalf of Paramount, or anyone who has acted on behalf of Paramount, ever contacted any Department of Justice officials to request, encourage, or advance an investigation of Netflix unrelated to the Warner Bros. Discovery deal? For any such communications, please describe the individuals involved and the nature, date, and content of any such communications.
