Raskin Demands Interview With Paramount CEO Over Merger Concerns

Rep. Jamie Raskin, the top Democrat on the House Judiciary Committee, has escalated his opposition to Paramount Skydance's proposed $111 billion merger with Warner Bros. Discovery, sending a letter to Paramount CEO David Ellison demanding a transcribed interview to answer questions about the deal and its potential impact on media independence. The letter, sent on August 12, accuses Ellison of colluding with the Trump administration to curtail press freedom and marks the fifth time Democrats have sought comment from the executive without a response.

Raskin's demand comes just days after Ellison published an op-ed in The New York Times defending the merger and pledging to "stay silent no more." The lawmaker seized on this statement, writing, "Now that you have vowed to break your long silence, I invite you to a transcribed interview to tell Congress and America your story." Raskin set a deadline of August 26 for Ellison to schedule the meeting.

The core of Raskin's concern centers on the potential consolidation of media power and alleged political interference. He cited reports that Ellison, a Republican donor and ally of President Donald Trump, has already shifted news content at...