Oregon’s attorney general office announced Friday that it has withdrawn its legal motion seeking to put the brakes on Paramount’s proposed $110 billion purchase of Warner Bros.
The Oregon Department of Justice released a statement to Reuters explaining the decision: “Paramount made it clear that they weren’t going to comply with the investigative demand, and that they think they’re above the law. We’re not going to let them waste Oregonians’ resources on these games.”
The department added, “We’ve withdrawn the motion to consider our next steps.”
Earlier this week, Oregon Attorney General Dan Rayfield’s office had gone to a court in Multnomah County seeking to compel the company to turn over documents and halt the deal for 60 days while the state conducted its review. Paramount had agreed not to finalize the transaction before July 22 while the review was ongoing.
At the heart of Oregon’s inquiry are documents related to what Paramount internally called “Project Warrior” — the company’s effort to secure regulatory approval for the deal. The state also wants records tied to Paramount’s lobbying of the Trump administration in support of the merger.
A Paramount spokesperson responded positively to the withdrawal, telling Reuters the company was pleased with the development and defending the merger as both “lawful” and “pro-competitive.”
The proposed deal would bring together two of Hollywood’s four major studios and has sparked concern among actors, writers, and other industry workers who worry about potential job cuts. The merger is also facing pressure from additional U.S. states, which Reuters reports could file lawsuits to block the acquisition as early as next week, citing competition concerns.
