Scott Pelley Warns of Damaging Settlement in Trump Lawsuit Against CBS
In a recent interview with CNN’s Anderson Cooper, Scott Pelley, a correspondent for CBS’s "60 Minutes," spoke out about the lawsuit filed by President Donald Trump against CBS and its parent company, Paramount Global. The lawsuit stems from a "60 Minutes" interview with former Vice President Kamala Harris in October 2024.
According to Fox News Digital, Trump rejected a $15 million offer to settle his lawsuit, with his legal team demanding at least $25 million and an apology from CBS News. Pelley expressed concerns that a settlement would be "very damaging" to CBS, Paramount, and their reputations. "Well, it’d be very damaging to CBS, to Paramount, to the reputation of those companies," Pelley said during the conversation with Cooper.
The lawsuit and potential settlement have raised questions about the independence of "60 Minutes" and the impact on journalism. Pelley also discussed the resignation of former "60 Minutes" producer Bill Owens, who left the program in April. "Bill’s decision to resign may not have been much of a decision for him because he was always the first person to defend the independence of ‘60 minutes.’ Bill didn’t work for Paramount. Bill worked for our viewers, and he felt very keenly about that," Pelley said.
Pelley also wished for public backing from CBS News, but noted that his work was still being broadcast on the program. "You really wish the company was behind you 100%, right? You really wish the top echelons of the company would come out publicly and say ’60 Minutes’, for example, is a crown jewel of American journalism, and we stand behind it 100%. I haven’t heard that," he said.
Recently, Pelley went viral for his commencement address at Wake Forest University, where he spoke out about the importance of freedom of speech and the rule of law. "In this moment, this moment, this morning, our sacred rule of law is under attack. Journalism is under attack. Universities are under attack. Freedom of speech is under attack," Pelley said. He added that "insidious fear is reaching through our schools, our businesses, our homes and into our private thoughts, the fear to speak in America."
Pelley addressed the remarks during the CNN interview and told Cooper that he felt "strongly" that they needed to be said. The "60 Minutes" correspondent emphasised the importance of speaking out against actions taken by the government that threaten freedom of speech and the rule of law.
As reported by Fox News Digital, CBS News CEO Wendy McMahon abruptly resigned, citing disagreements with the company amid a "challenging" period. The network is also facing a lawsuit from Trump, who claims that the "60 Minutes" interview with Harris was unfair and damaging.
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By Hanna Panreck, Associate Editor at Fox News. Fox News’ Joseph Wulfsohn contributed to this report.
Source: Fox News
