WASHINGTON (AP) – The battle over the fortune of ailing media mogul Sumner Redstone has taken another turn. Lawyers for Redstone are seeking to remove two members of the board of the trust that will eventually control Redstone’s media empire, which includes CBS Corp. and Viacom Inc.
Viacom Chief Executive Philippe Dauman and George Abrams, a member of Viacom’s board, were informed that they had been removed from the trust that will control Redstone’s companies after he dies or is declared incompetent.
Michael Tu, an attorney with the law firm representing Redstone, said in a statement that Redstone had taken “decisive and lawful action which he firmly believes is in the best interest of Viacom Inc. and its stockholders.”
In his statement, Tu, a lawyer with the Los Angeles law firm Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe, said that Dauman and Abrams had also been removed as directors of National Amusements Inc., the holding company that owns the controlling shares of cable giant Viacom and CBS.
But Viacom released a statement Saturday attacking the actions as inconsistent with Redstone’s wishes and contended they were being driven instead by Redstone’s daughter, Shari Redstone.