Former CBS Chief Les Moonves Settles Ethics Complaint

Former CBS President Leslie Moonves has agreed to pay a $15,000 fine to settle a Los Angeles city ethics complaint. 

The LA Times reports the complaint stems from his role in an alleged cover-up of sexual assault accusations against him. 

The Los Angeles City Ethics Commission unanimously approved this settlement after previously rejecting a proposal for $11,250 in fines as too low. Under the settlement, Moonves admitted that he violated city law by interfering with a police investigation into the sexual assault allegations. 

The allegations involved the LAPD and drew comparisons to the novel and movie “L.A. Confidential,” where corrupt police officers protect powerful figures. Then-Police Capt. Cory Palka, who had known Moonves for nearly a decade, allegedly worked with Moonves and other CBS executives to bury a complaint made by a former colleague, Phyllis Golden-Gottlieb, alleging that Moonves had sexually assaulted her in the 1980s. 

Moonves’ career as head of CBS eventually collapsed amid a widening sex scandal that came to light as part of the #MeToo movement. He stepped down from CBS in September 2018, denying harassing or assaulting women. 

The ethics complaint detailed how Moonves interfered with the police investigation into Golden-Gottlieb’s report. The case highlights the intersection of power, ethics, and accountability in the entertainment industry.