Senate Democrats Demand Answers on YouTube Settlement, Investigating Potential ‘Bribe’ to Trump
WASHINGTON D.C. – A group of Senate Democrats is demanding to know if YouTubeS recent $17.5 million settlement with Donald Trump over a defamation lawsuit was connected to the Justice Department’s ongoing antitrust cases against google, YouTube’s parent company. in a letter sent today, the senators allege the settlement raises concerns about potential illegal bribery and undue influence over government proceedings.
The senators point to the timing of the settlement and the fact that $22 million of the payment is earmarked for the construction of a new White House ballroom, where Trump is scheduled to hold a fundraising dinner tonight, according to CBS News. They are questioning whether the payment was intended to influence the Trump Justice Department’s decisions regarding appeals in existing antitrust cases.
Google is currently facing a Department of Justice lawsuit seeking to break up its ad tech monopoly, with the government initially arguing for a dramatic restructuring. The outcome of that case remains uncertain, as a settlement with less drastic remedies is still possible. Separately,a judge recently proposed milder remedies than the Biden governance sought in a search antitrust suit against Google,leaving the decision on whether to appeal to the incoming Trump administration.
The senators’ letter cites the federal anti-bribery statute and California’s Unfair Competition Law, suggesting YouTube and its executives may have acted illegally if the settlement was designed to avoid stricter antitrust remedies.
YouTube and Google previously responded to an August letter from the senators, stating they had “no discussion tying any potential settlement of the case to any official action or to any pending or potential future matters involving Alphabet or any of its affiliates, and there will be no such discussions.” The lawmakers are now seeking to verify the accuracy of that statement.
This settlement is not isolated. trump has previously secured settlements from other companies while they were seeking government approval for mergers or facing other regulatory hurdles, including $16 million from Paramount, and approximately $10 million from X and $25 million from Meta. Senator Elizabeth Warren previously described the Meta settlement as “looking like a bribe.”
