WASHINGTON (TNND) — Bill Owens, who served as executive producer of CBS’s flagship news program “60 Minutes,” announced his resignation Tuesday amid a lawsuit from President Donald Trump.

Owens in 2019 became the program’s third executive producer in its 57-year history. He wrote in an internal memo, acquired by The New York Times, that it had recently “become clear that I would not be allowed to run the show as I have always run it” and to “make independent decisions based on what was right for 60 Minutes, right for the audience.”

“Look, I have worked at CBS News for 37 years, more than half of that at 60 Minutes, I have been shot at and threatened with jail for protecting a source,” the memo reads. “I have overseen more than 600 stories as Executive Producer of 60. I know who I am and what I have done to cover the most important stories of our time under difficult conditions.”

CBS did not respond when asked by The National News Desk to share a comment on the move.

His departure comes amid a lawsuit from President Donald Trump over what he claimed were “defamatory” stories about him. It followed two stories by “60 Minutes” relating to the war in Ukraine and Trump’s push to acquire Greenland.

“I am so honored to be suing 60 Minutes, CBS Fake News, and Paramount, over their fraudulent, beyond recognition, reporting,” Trump wrote. “They are not a ‘News Show,’ but a dishonest Political Operative simply disguised as ‘News,’ and must be responsible for what they have done, and are doing.”

Owens last week said neither CBS nor “60 Minutes” would apologize to Trump as part of a potential settlement in the lawsuit.

“There have been reports in the media about a settlement and/or apology,” he said, according to the New York Times. “The company knows I will not apologize for anything we have done.”

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