Paramount Global and Skydance logos are seen in this illustration taken December 17, 2024. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration
U.S. Representative Jamie Raskin (D-MD) speaks during a House Judiciary Committee hearing with FBI Director Kash Patel (not pictured), on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., U.S., September 17, 2025. REUTERS/Annabelle Gordon

By David Shepardson

WASHINGTON (Reuters) -The top Democrats on two U.S. House of Representatives committees said Wednesday Paramount Skydance had refused to answer key questions or provide documents tied to the Trump administration's approval of its $8.4 billion merger with the CBS News-parent company.

Representatives Jamie Raskin and Frank Pallone wrote Paramount Skydance CEO David Ellison, accusing the media company of "stonewalling congressional oversight." The Democratic lawmakers sought the documents after the Federal Communications Commission in July approved the deal after Paramount agreed to pay $16 million to settle President Donald Trump’s lawsuit against CBS over its editing of a "60 Minutes" interview with his Democratic presidential opponent Kamala Harris.

Paramount did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The merger was approved after Skydance agreed to ensure CBS news and entertainment programming would be free of bias, hire an ombudsman for at least two years to review complaints, and end diversity programs.

"The timing of this approval from the Trump Administration was deeply suspicious," the lawmakers wrote, reiterating a request for the settlement agreement between Skydance or Paramount and President Trump and a copy of all related communications -- documents the company has not provided.

The lawmakers also asked about reports Skydance offered up to $20 million in free advertising and public service announcements as part of the merger deal that Trump has said he "anticipated receiving" but did not get any answers.

FCC Chair Brendan Carr, a Republican, previously defended the merger deal, saying it was necessary to include a commitment to more "fact-based reporting, unbiased journalism... It is clear to me that something fundamental needs to change when it comes to the legacy mainstream media."

(Reporting by David Shepardson; editing by Diane Craft)