Judge rules CBS' bid to dismiss Trump's $20 billion lawsuit is 'moot,' allows case to move forward

The lawsuit was initially for $10 billion, but was altered last week after Trump's legal team added Paramount as a defendant. Texas GOP Rep. Ronny Jackson was also added as a plaintiff, and the damages were increased.

Published: February 11, 2025 4:25pm

A federal judge on Tuesday gave President Donald Trump a legal victory, by rejecting a bid to dismiss a $20 billion election interference lawsuit against CBS News and its parent company Paramount Global, ruling that their argument was "moot."

Trump sued the network in October over the edit of former Vice President Kamala Harris' answer in a "60 Minutes" interview. The answer in a clip promoting the "60 Minutes" interview differed from her response in the full interview that aired. 

Bill Owens, the executive producer of "60 Minutes," has maintained that the edits were done within standard journalistic practice.

The lawsuit was initially for $10 billion, but was altered last week after Trump's legal team added Paramount as a defendant, per Fox News. Texas GOP Rep. Ronny Jackson was also added as a plaintiff, and the damages were increased.

U.S. District Judge Matthew J. Kacsmaryk denied CBS News and Paramount's attempt to dismiss the lawsuit in a ruling shared with Fox. The defendants attempted to argue that the case was filed in an improper venue, after it was relocated from New York to Texas. 

"Plaintiffs add a Defendant, a Plaintiff, and a litany of factual allegations and legal claims in their Amended Complaint. Accordingly, the Motions are denied as moot," Kacsmaryk ruled, before adding, "Nothing in this Order shall be construed as a determination on the merits of either Plaintiffs’ or Defendants’ substantive arguments and claims in the Motions or Amended Complaint."

The ruling comes as the Federal Communications Commission is also investigating the edits. FCC Commissioner Brendan Carr has opened the topic for public comment, and will hold a hearing on the matter on March 7. 

The FCC has also released the full unedited transcript and video of the interview.

Misty Severi is a news reporter for Just The News. You can follow her on X for more coverage.

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