Oregon Attorney General Dan Rayfield has withdrawn his office's civil investigative demand against Paramount, ending the state's attempt to delay the company's acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery after Paramount refused to hand over subpoenaed documents.
Oregon Attorney General Dan Rayfield has withdrawn his office's civil investigative demand against Paramount Global, ending the state's push to pause the company's pending acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery by 60 days.
Rayfield had sought internal documents from Paramount related to its lobbying efforts — internally codenamed "Project Warrior" — and petitioned a state circuit court judge to delay the deal's closing while his office reviewed the materials.
The AG's office said Paramount refused to hand over the requested records, prompting the withdrawal.
"Paramount made it clear that they weren't going to comply with the investigative demand, and that they think they're above the law," Jenny Hansson, communications director for Rayfield, told Deadline. "We're not going to let them waste Oregonians' resources on these games. We've withdrawn the motion to consider our next steps."
Paramount did not immediately issue a public statement, though the company is widely reported to be pleased with the outcome.
The dispute sits against a politically charged backdrop. Paramount is led by David and Larry Ellison, prominent supporters of President Donald Trump who have maintained close ties to the White House. President Trump publicly stated during the merger proceedings that Netflix — Paramount's primary rival in bidding for Warner Bros. Discovery — would "pay the consequences" if it did not remove Trump critic Susan Rice from its board.
Oregon's retreat does not resolve the broader legal and regulatory resistance the deal faces. California, New York, and the United Kingdom are each reportedly weighing potential moves to block the transaction on antitrust grounds. A significant portion of Hollywood's creative community has also voiced opposition to the combination, which would consolidate two of the entertainment industry's largest content libraries and distribution platforms under a single ownership structure.
The merger has drawn scrutiny from multiple directions — antitrust regulators concerned about market concentration, state officials focused on lobbying transparency, and industry workers worried about the deal's implications for jobs and creative independence.
With Oregon stepping back, the next material challenge to the deal is likely to come from one of the larger state coalitions or from the UK regulatory review, both of which remain active. How quickly those processes move will largely determine whether the deal closes on Paramount's preferred timeline or faces further delays.
Sara Montes de Oca is the Editor in Chief of TechEchelon. Previously a correspondent and producer in Washington, D.C., covering business, finance, and politics.
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