Why was Scott Pelley fired? Explaining recent '60 Minutes' controversy

Scott Pelley is at the center of tempers flaring at CBS.

The longtime "60 Minutes" correspondent was fired from CBS News after a private spat made headlines. The anchor's exit comes after a heated staff meeting, reported by The New York Times and Status on Monday based on leaked audio, in which he is heard accusing network Editor in-Chief Bari Weiss of "murdering" the news program and laying into its newly hired executive producer, former tech journalist Nick Bilton.

On June 2, following media coverage of the exchange, CBS News terminated the correspondent after more than two decades at "60 Minutes," USA TODAY has learned. Pelley, 68, was left without severance or other benefits effective immediately.

In a termination note obtained by USA TODAY, Bilton told Pelley that he was hoping they could pave a "path forward together" following the "misconduct," but said, "You made it clear that you are not interested in such a path."

Pelley, who has been with the network for nearly 40 years and on "60 Minutes" for over 20, has since publicly accused network leadership of attempting to force bias on "60 Minutes," catering to politicians and attempting to "curry a moment of favor with the Trump administration."

USA TODAY has reached out to CBS for comment. A rep for Pelley could not be reached.

The New York Times and Status reported that the staff meeting was to serve as an introduction to Bilton, a former Times technology columnist and investigative journalist, who was selected to lead "60 Minutes" in late May.

In a tense exchange during the meeting, in which The New York Times reported Pelley called Bilton's qualifications "slender," the broadcast journalist questioned Weiss' commitment to the prosperity of the news program, saying she's "murdering '60 Minutes'" and that she was "brought in to kill it."

In his termination note, Bilton criticized Pelley, saying the anchor "hijacked" the meeting with his "ambush."

"You hijacked my first meeting with staff to disparage me, my qualifications, and my intentions with remarkable incivility and contempt," Bilton told Pelley in the note. "Yesterday's performative display of hostility — enacted in front of the staff instead of in a civil, private conversation — demonstrated that you have no interest in contributing to the future success of the show."

'60 Minutes' producer Nick Bilton says Scott Pelley's 'antipathy' led to ouster

He said Pelley's "antipathy," or his hostility, toward the show's future is loud and clear, adding, "And I have heard you."

"I am here to deliver first-in-class news programming, not to make headlines about newsroom drama. I am eager to work alongside those who share this goal," Bilton added.

Who is Nick Bilton? Journalist once wrote for 'The Idol'

Bilton is a former New York Times tech columnist who previously did investigative and features work at Vanity Fair. He also has a tech podcast, cohosting "The Nick, Dick and Paul Show," and is the author of "American Kingpin: The Epic Hunt for the Criminal Mastermind Behind the Silk Road" and "Hatching Twitter: A True Story of Money, Power, Friendship, and Betrayal."

In addition to his journalism career, Bilton has also worked as a screenwriter and filmmaker. He wrote and directed the 2021 TV movie "Fake Famous," a documentary about social media influencers, as well as served as a staff writer on the Sam Levinson drama "The Idol" in 2023.

The journalist has not previously worked in broadcast journalism, nor led a newsroom. But, he told The New York Times in a joint interview with Weiss that his non-traditional path can be an asset. "When you take an insider and you put them inside a company, nothing changes," he said.

Bilton's hiring came in tandem with mass firings at "60 Minutes." Longtime senior leaders like executive producer Tanya Simon and executive editor Draggan Mihailovich, and correspondents Sharyn Alfonsi and Cecilia Vega, were fired from their roles on the show. In public statements, Alfonsi and Vega alleged their firings had political motivations.

Contributing: Greta Cross and Edward Segarra, USA TODAY