Overview
- Oregon Attorney General Dan Rayfield filed a court motion seeking documents about Paramount’s lobbying of federal officials, any role in the DOJ statement on the merger, and files tied to an internal effort called “Project Warrior.”
- The state asked a judge to bar the deal from closing for 60 days after Paramount substantially complies with the order, and a Multnomah County hearing is set for next Monday.
- Paramount has told the court it will not close the merger before July 22, which aligns with an extended European Commission review date, and the company says it has provided relevant merger documents to Oregon.
- A coalition of state attorneys general led by California and New York is finalizing a multistate antitrust suit that could be filed as soon as next week and may separately seek to block the transaction despite DOJ clearance.
- If litigation or regulatory holds delay closing the deal past key deadlines, Paramount faces quarterly ticking fees roughly equal to $650 million and a $7 billion termination fee that would raise material financial risks for the company and workers.