Paramount's chief legal officer said the company may join other companies that have fled California in the face of burdensome regulations. Paramount agreed last month to delay its planned $81 billion merger with Warner Brothers Discovery until next June or until the merits of a lawsuit against the merger are resolved. Twelve states, led by California, have sued to block the merger, alleging that it would "extinguish competition" in Hollywood and reduce choices for consumers. Ellison is an ally of President Donald Trump, and Democrats have raised concern that CNN, one of Warner Bros. Ellison said in a New York Times op-ed in July that he doesn't intend to influence the companies' newsrooms.