Paramount’s CBS News said late Monday it has turned over documents sought by the Federal Communications Commission in its probe into a “60 Minutes” interview with then Vice President Kamala Harris, a spokesperson for the network said.
FCC Chair Brendan Carr said last week the agency had reinstated a complaint into the appearance. On Monday, Carr, who was named chair by President Donald Trump, told Fox News he expected CBS to turn over a copy of the unedited transcript of the interview by the end of the day.
“CBS played the same question on two different programs and clearly the words of the answers were very different,” Carr said.
The network said Friday that it was compelled by Brendan Carr, Trump’s appointee as FCC chairman, to turn over the transcripts and camera feeds of the interview for a parallel investigation by the commission.
“60 Minutes” has resisted releasing transcripts for this and all of its interviews, to avoid second-guessing of its editing process.
The case, particularly a potential settlement, is being closely watched by advocates for press freedom and by journalists within CBS, whose lawyers called Trump’s lawsuit “completely without merit” and promised to vigorously fight it after it was filed.