Les Moonves’ Settlement With L.A. for Alleged Interference in LAPD Investigation Rejected by Ethics Commission

The Los Angeles Ethics Commission has unanimously voted to reject the proposed settlement by the city with Les Moonves, the former president and CEO of CBS.

The settlement, made public last week, stated that Moonves tried to influence now-retired LAPD Captain Cory Palka amid a sexual assault investigation against the executive. The legal documents noted that Moonves agreed to pay an $11,250 fine on Feb. 5 for violating the city’s ethics code.

Moonves “admits that he violated City law by aiding and abetting the disclosure and misuse of confidential information and by inducing a City official to misuse his position to attempt to create a private advantage for Moonves,” the settlement read, which is why they recommend “settling this case by approving the stipulated order.”

However, the Ethics Commission, including all four commissioners, voted down the proposed settlement, 4-0. It’s not immediately clear how the case will proceed. The city’s ethics law allows for a maximum fine of $15,000 for Moonves ($5,000 per each of the 3 counts).

During the same meeting Wednesday, the Ethics Commission unanimously voted down a proposed $2,500 fine for former CBS senior vp talent relations and special events Ian Metrose, who, the settlement stated, “admits that he violated City law by aiding and abetting the disclosure and misuse of confidential information.” According to the settlement, Palka first made contact with Metrose to discuss the claims against Moonves, and Metrose acted as a go-between on the matter for the LAPD captain and his then-boss Moonves.

“The rejection of the proposed settlements was based on the egregiousness of the alleged
facts,” committee president Jeffery J. Daar said in a statement Wednesday night. “The Ethics Commission is committed to enforcing the City’s laws. These two cases underscore the need for the City Council to place a measure before the voters to strengthen the Ethics Commission’s independence as well as increase the maximum monetary penalties for violations of City ethics laws, which have not been changed in more than 30 years.”

The settlement found that Palka — who was the commanding officer of the Hollywood Division in 2017 — personally gave Moonves confidential information about the sexual assault probe after a former employee, Phyllis Golden-Gottlieb, filed a report against him in late 2017. According to the legal documents, Moonves and Palka communicated (often via Metrose) over the phone and text messaging and met at an in-person meeting.

These allegations of interference first came to light in a bombshell 2022 New York Attorney General’s settlement with Paramount Global and Moonves. The $30.5 million settlement was announced alongside results of an investigation that found that not only had Moonves been tipped off to the LAPD investigation by Palka, but also that former CBS communications chief Gil Schwartz allegedly sold millions of dollars worth of stock before the sexual assault claims went public.

Phyllis’ children, Cathy Gottlieb Weiss and Jim Gottlieb, shared in a statement to The Hollywood Reporter following the news of the proposed settlement.

“We were surprised and disappointed by the size of the fine issued by the Ethics Commission, as it was disproportionate to the damage that was done to the integrity of the inquiry into our mother’s police report. Our mother placed her trust in the police department to conduct a fair and thorough investigation and never imagined that a police captain would allow the accused to use his connections in an attempt to derail the investigation.”

Moonves, who resigned from CBS in 2018 following sexual assault allegations from multiple women, has denied all allegations against him. Metrose exited CBS in March 2023, a few months after the New York Attorney General’s report went public.

Updated Feb. 21 at 9:32 p.m. PT: Statement from Daar

Updated Feb. 22 at 2:43 p.m. PT: Statement from Phyllis Golden-Gottlieb’s children