Threats and disappointments: Why did the CBS board face Leslie Moonves?

In February, the Los Angeles police dropped the procedure because the statute of limitations had expired. But the directors said that had they known at any time that law enforcement officials were involved, they would have been more severe in their interrogation of Mr. Moonves and would have started an investigation earlier. And they were particularly disturbed by the fact that Mr. Moonves had authorized the Redstone trial without having directly mentioned the police complaint.

Pressed by the directors for an explanation after the Los Angeles Times story, Moonves insisted he tell Mr. Aiello in January. And anyway, he argued that the incident was so old that he considered it a "personal problem" that had no impact on his tenure at CBS.

The worst was yet to come.

A few days later, as part of the company's investigation, the newly recruited lawyers asked to question Mr. Moonves. He initially resisted, but gave way after CBS warned that he was contractually obliged to cooperate fully with any investigation. If he did not, he could be fired for "cause" and would waive any severance pay.

With his own lawyers also present, Moonves discussed the Los Angeles police complaint, which he had been aware of since November. And he revealed that one of his accusers was threatening to make himself known. According to a director and two other people familiar with Mr. Moonves, he acknowledged that he was trying to silence the woman by finding her job at CBS. One person stated that the woman did not explicitly condition her continued silence on a job, even though the implication seemed clear.

Mr. Moonves told council counsel that he informed Mr. Aiello of both questions when he was questioned in January. But Mr Aiello categorically denied that, and when Weill Gotshal's lawyers, who had listened to the Moonves interview, reviewed their notes, they found no reference to threats from a police officer. wife.

In a series of emails between directors in mid-August, it became clear that the board's discussion had changed in how to keep Mr. Moonves on how to remove it. One of the directors, Joseph A. Califano Jr., a former cabinet secretary to President Jimmy Carter, particularly insisted that Mr. Moonves be suspended or dismissed immediately for cause.

A resolution was delayed by the need to simultaneously settle the case with Ms. Redstone. It was useless to continue the trial if Mr. Moonves left, because the purpose of the lawsuit was to defend Mr. Moonves' territory against Mrs. Redstone's perceived encroachment.