Lawyers for several states are finalizing an antitrust lawsuit challenging Paramount’s pending acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery, including CNN, according to people involved in the legal process.
The multistate suit will likely be filed next week, the sources told CNN, though the filing date is subject to change.
If the suit is filed, it could disrupt Paramount’s plan to take control of Warner later this summer. The company has been seeking to complete the deal in the coming weeks.
The suit would also represent another instance of state attorneys general intervening in a merger that has already been approved by the federal government.
The Justice Department cleared Paramount’s acquisition of WBD last month amid criticism of the Trump administration’s close ties with the company. Federal clearance doesn’t bar state attorneys from bringing their own antitrust claims.
