Constitutional Lawyers Urge Criminal Investigation Into Paramount's Payment To Trump

Constitutional lawyers are urging the AGs of New York and California to open a criminal investigation into Paramount's payment to Donald Trump.

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The group Free Speech For People is urging the AGs in both New York and California to open criminal investigations into Paramount’s deal with Donald Trump.

Free Speech For People announced in a statement:

Free Speech For People (FSFP) has formally requested that the Attorneys General of California and New York and the District Attorneys of Manhattan and Los Angeles initiate criminal investigations into Donald Trump’s scheme to obtain millions of dollars from Paramount Global and Skydance Media and to force changes to the news and entertainment content of Paramount subsidiary CBS Broadcasting Inc. In letters to the state and local prosecutors, FSFP attorneys called on them to determine whether Trump, senior administration officials, and Trump’s personal associates violated state laws and, if warranted, to bring criminal charges.

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New York and California—states in which both states have offices and operations, and are respectively the headquarters of Paramount and Skydance—criminalize extortion and conspiracy. Broadly, these laws prohibit the wrongful taking of someone’s private property or services, or the wrongful control of their behavior, by instilling fear that the extortionist will cause them harm or damage. The fact that the conduct involves the President of the United States and senior officials in his administration provides no shield against investigation and, where appropriate, prosecution. Extortion-related crimes are not official acts for which a President can claim immunity.

“States should not wait for the Department of Justice (DOJ) to act first,” says Suparna Reddy, Senior Counsel at Free Speech For People. “While these schemes may also violate federal criminal statutes, the DOJ has been co-opted by Trump and cannot be depended upon to fulfil its obligation to impartially investigate.”

The DOJ has become a political arm of Donald Trump. They are not going to investigate or take any action.

The Trump deal with Paramount is interesting because Trump filed the lawsuit before he was president. Thus, he is not covered under the Supreme Court’s presidential immunity decision.

Presidential immunity does not exempt Trump from state charges, and presidential pardon power does not extend to state criminal acts, so Trump can’t pardon anyone who engages in potential illegal activity with him.

Trump reportedly is worried about the prospect of congressional investigations if Democrats win back a majority in all or part of Congress in 2026.

The states could launch their own investigations, and, on the surface, there is no good reason for them not to do so.

What do you think about the idea of state AGs investigating Trump’s deal with Paramount? Share your thoughts in the comments below.