EXCLUSIVE: Mikie Sherrill’s Team Blindsided By Dem AG Joining Lawsuit Against Paramount

A source close to Democratic New Jersey Gov. Mikie Sherrill criticized the state’s Democratic attorney general’s decision to join a lawsuit seeking to block Paramount Skydance’s $110 billion acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery, telling the Daily Caller News Foundation the governor’s team was not given advance notice of the move.

“We didn’t have a heads up” that Democratic New Jersey Attorney General Jennifer Davenport would join the multistate lawsuit, the person told the DCNF. The source questioned the strength of the case and described New Jersey’s involvement as “a baffling move” as the state seeks investment and jobs from the two entertainment companies.

“Did we really need to get involved when we’re negotiating such great things for our taxpayers with Paramount and Warner Brothers?” the source told the DCNF.

The New Jersey Economic Development Authority reported that 556 productions filmed in the state in 2024, spending a record $833 million and hiring more than 30,000 crew members. The state has also extended its Film and Digital Media Tax Credit Program through 2049 as it seeks to attract studios and long-term entertainment investment.

“If every single regulator has approved this … it doesn’t look like the most compelling case,” the source close to the governor told the DCNF.

Democratic New Jersey state Sens. Raj Mukherji, Brian Stack and Angela McKnight, Hudson County Executive Craig Guy and several other Democratic officials urged Davenport to withdraw New Jersey from the litigation, arguing the state should have an “exceptionally compelling reason” to spend taxpayer money on litigation that could jeopardize investment in New Jersey.

Davenport joined Democratic California Attorney General Rob Bonta and attorneys general from ten other states in July in suing to stop the merger. The coalition argued the transaction would reduce competition by combining two major movie studios and basic cable companies, potentially resulting in higher prices and fewer choices for consumers.

Davenport’s office declined to comment to the DCNF, citing ongoing litigation.

The source close to the governor said people involved in the dispute are increasingly expecting the litigation to end in a settlement.