Paramount isolates California AG Rob Bonta in his own party as LA mayor fights to keep tens of thousands of jobs in the state

From the Newshound archive · first published 19 September 2026.

David Ellison's Paramount Skydance has set out to make California attorney general Rob Bonta a pariah among fellow Democrats, enlisting LA mayor Karen Bass and lobbying state politicians to push for a settlement in Bonta's antitrust lawsuit against the $81 billion Paramount-Warner Bros. Discovery merger. Bass caused an uproar this week by signalling Ellison already has one foot out the door, writing on X: 'This industry was built here. I'm going to fight like hell to keep it here.' Ellison has warned he will quit California entirely if meaningful settlement talks do not begin by October 1.

Ellison has threatened to take tens of thousands of jobs and billions in economic activity out of California if Bonta refuses a reasonable deal.

'Every Dem pol in the state wants a settlement and is worried that Ellison will leave — they also think his antitrust case is a joke,' said one person close to the media giant.

Bonta is holding firm, insisting the exodus would lie 'at their feet', while saying he remains open to settlement talks if they are 'sincere'.