LAPD captain warned CBS about Les Moonves sexual assault declare, NY AG says

Paramount International and former CBS chief Les Moonves agreed to make further funds to settle an investigation by the New York State Lawyer Basic’s workplace, which disclosed additional allegations involving the Los Angeles Police Division’s function within the matter on Wednesday.

The investigation by New York Lawyer Basic Letitia James discovered {that a} commanding officer with the LAPD had tipped off the previous CBS chief govt and different executives in 2018 about sexual assault allegations earlier than they have been made public.

Based on a submitting from James’ workplace, the LAPD officer left this voice message for CBS govt Ian Metrose: “I do know we have not talked shortly. I’m a captain at LAPD Hollywood. Anyone walked within the station a few couple hours in the past and made allegations towards your boss relating to a sexual assault. It is confidential, as you recognize, however name me, and I may give you a number of the particulars and allow you to know what the allegation is earlier than it goes to the media or will get out. So all proper discuss to you after some time. Bye.”

The findings additionally allege one of many senior executives bought thousands and thousands of {dollars}’ price of shares primarily based off of the knowledge and earlier than they went public. James mentioned CBS allowed the chief, Gil Schwartz, to promote over 160,000 shares, or greater than $8 million price, six weeks earlier than an article concerning the allegations towards Moonves was printed. Schwartz, who wrote books underneath the pen title Stanley Bing, together with “Loopy Bosses: Recognizing Them, Serving Them, Surviving Them,” died in 2020.

James mentioned she referred the matter to the California Lawyer Basic’s workplace. A consultant for the LAPD declined to remark. CNBC has reached out to Moonves’ representatives and Metrose, who nonetheless works on the firm. Paramount declined to remark additional on him.

“We’re happy to resolve this matter regarding occasions from 2018 with the New York Lawyer Basic’s workplace, with none admission of legal responsibility or wrongdoing,” a Paramount spokesperson mentioned Wednesday. “The matter concerned alleged misconduct by CBS’s former CEO, who was terminated for trigger in 2018, and doesn’t relate in any method to the present firm.”

CBS and Viacom merged in 2019, later altering the corporate’s title to Paramount International.

The investigation discovered textual content messages between the LAPD captain, top-ranking CBS executives and Moonves that exposed the allegations. The captain additionally labored with executives for a number of months to forestall the grievance from turning into public, based on the legal professional basic’s launch on Wednesday.

Moonves left CBS in 2018 after allegations of sexual misconduct and cultural issues within the firm. Following his exit, the board employed two legislation companies to analyze the allegations, discovering there have been floor to fireplace the chief for trigger. Moonves has beforehand denied the accusations.

As a part of filings associated to Paramount’s third quarter earnings on Wednesday, the corporate reported it agreed to pay $7.25 million to shareholders, whereas Moonves pays $2.5 million. That is along with the $14.25 million earlier paid by Paramount within the settlement.

“CBS and Leslie Moonves’ makes an attempt to silence victims, deceive the general public, and mislead traders can solely be described as reprehensible,” James mentioned within the Wednesday launch. “As a publicly traded firm, CBS failed its most elementary responsibility to be trustworthy and clear with the general public and traders.”

The settlement additionally bars Moonves from serving as an officer or director of an organization that does enterprise in New York with out first gaining approval from they legal professional basic’s workplace.

Paramount mentioned in public filings Wednesday that the corporate reached a take care of the Investor Safety Bureau of the New York legal professional basic’s workplace with out admitting wrongdoing or legal responsibility.