Target: Letitia James, Attorney General of New York
Goal: Launch investigation into bribery allegations linked to cancellation of long-running television show.
Can a president weaponize the legal system to neutralize a free media? Can a president use the threat of lawsuits to enrich himself? President Trump has pushed both of these ethical and Constitutional questions to the limit. Since emerging on the political stage, he has defunded public news outlets and sued two major television networks, along with newspapers large and small. And he recently became the first sitting president to file a lawsuit against a news outlet when he sued the Rupert Murdoch-owned Wall Street Journal for reporting on alleged prior associations between the president and deceased, disgraced mogul Jeffrey Epstein. The president also lingers in the background of another major media scandal.
In mid-2025, Stephen Colbert announced the shocking cancellation of his popular and highly rated Late Show: a long-enduring franchise that began with host David Letterman decades ago. Although the parent company of the show, Paramount, cited cost as a reason for the sudden decision, the timing is suspect. CBS – the network that carries the show and also one of the networks sued by President Trump – recently settled the lawsuit and paid the president 16 million dollars. On his show, Colbert called out the settlement as a “big fat bribe,” since Paramount needs government approval for an ongoing major merger. Within two days of the broadcast, Colbert’s show was cancelled.
The Writers Guild, which represents writers employed by the show, has accused Paramount of essentially sacrificing Colbert and the show as another offering to the president. Sign the petition below to support their call for an investigation into this controversy.
PETITION LETTER:
Dear Attorney General James,
“With Paramount’s recent capitulation to President Trump in the CBS News lawsuit the Writers Guild of America has significant concerns that The Late Show‘s cancelation is a bribe, sacrificing free speech to curry favor with the Trump Administration as the company looks for merger approval.”
These serious allegations move beyond a mere “quid pro quo.” They will affect the livelihoods of hundreds of people. And, if true, they set an incredibly dangerous precedent in which the leader of the free world can abuse his power to intimidate into silence critics and media outlets that traditionally hold politicians accountable. The disturbing trend of lawsuit weaponization is already creating a dangerous standard of executive overreach that comes uneasily close to a Constitutional crisis.
Please honor the guild’s request for a full investigation into this cancellation. While others stand down, stand up for free speech and freedom of the press.
Sincerely,
[Your Name Here]
Photo Credit: Ajay Suresh
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