Former President Trump's legal team has significantly escalated its legal battle against CBS and its parent company, Paramount Global, demanding a vast trove of communications related to a 2024 "60 Minutes" interview with then-Vice President Kamala Harris. Trump alleges that the network's editing of Harris's responses constituted election interference, favoring his Democratic opponent just weeks before the presidential election.
The former president's lawyers have submitted a comprehensive discovery request encompassing 107 distinct categories of communication. This includes all correspondence between CBS and entities such as the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), the Biden administration, the Harris campaign, and the Democratic National Committee (DNC) spanning from September 22, 2024, to February 11, 2025.
The demand specifically targets communications involving key figures at "60 Minutes" and "Face the Nation," including executive editor Tanya Simon, executive producer Bill Owens, anchor Margaret Brennan, and correspondent Bill Whitaker, who conducted the Harris interview. Furthermore, the request seeks any documentation related to potential interviews with Trump himself for the same election special.
Trump's legal team is also pursuing internal communications among CBS staff regarding the interview, including discussions with editors, journalists, and correspondents, as well as any interactions with the Harris campaign. The request extends to communications concerning the ensuing controversy and any discussions about advertising aired during the programs featuring the Harris interview.
The lawsuit stems from the network's airing of two different segments of Harris's response to a question about Israel. One version, broadcast on "60 Minutes," presented a portion of her answer, while a shorter, alternative segment aired on "Face the Nation" a day later. This discrepancy sparked accusations that CBS had selectively edited Harris's remarks to present her in a more favorable light, prompting widespread criticism and allegations of bias.
Following a complaint and subsequent investigation by the FCC, CBS ultimately released the unedited transcript of the interview. This led Trump's legal team to amend the lawsuit, adding Paramount Global as a defendant and increasing the damages sought to $20 billion. The suit now also includes Rep. Ronny Jackson (R-Texas) as a plaintiff.
The case has garnered significant attention, with reports suggesting that Paramount Global is considering a settlement to avoid potential complications with a planned merger with Skydance Media, particularly given the FCC's authority to influence such transactions. The lawsuit represents one of several legal challenges, both criminal and civil, being managed by Trump's Senior Counsel, Boris Epshteyn.
