In a dramatic twist, ABC News has agreed to pay a hefty $15 million to settle a defamation lawsuit filed by President-elect Donald Trump.
The lawsuit arose from misleading statements made on-air by ABC’s anchor George Stephanopoulos.
Stephanopoulos had falsely stated that Trump was “found liable for raping” writer E. Jean Carroll.
This remark came during an interview with Representative Nancy Mace, which was aired on ABC’s This Week.
The network and Stephanopoulos have now agreed to issue a public apology.
These apologies will be made during a live broadcast, offering some closure for Trump.
This settlement also includes an additional $1 million payment to cover legal fees.
Trump’s legal team has emphasized that the apology is an important part of the deal.
The $15 million from ABC News will be donated to a fund supporting a “presidential foundation and museum” for Trump.
This legal battle began after ABC aired comments that misrepresented the verdicts in Carroll’s civil lawsuits against Trump.
In reality, Trump was found liable for sexual abuse in 2023, not for rape, as Stephanopoulos claimed.
This distinction is crucial under New York law, where rape and sexual abuse are considered separate crimes.
Trump had been ordered to pay $5 million in damages after a jury found him liable for sexual abuse and defamation in one of Carroll’s civil cases.
In another case, he was found liable for additional defamation and ordered to pay Carroll $83.3 million.
Trump is currently appealing both of these verdicts.
The defamation lawsuit against ABC News comes on the heels of a string of legal victories for Trump.
Despite the legal challenges he faces, this settlement marks another success for the President-elect.
The defamation case was filed shortly after ABC aired the segment in which Stephanopoulos misstated the legal outcome of Trump’s case with Carroll.
Trump’s legal team moved quickly, filing the lawsuit in federal court in Miami just days after the broadcast.
The timing of the suit was key in making sure the record was corrected swiftly.
Carroll, who publicly accused Trump of raping her in the mid-1990s, has been a central figure in the series of lawsuits against the President-elect.
Her allegations first surfaced in 2019, when she detailed the alleged assault in her memoir.
At the heart of the defamation claims is the issue of the language used by Stephanopoulos during the interview.
Trump’s team argued that Stephanopoulos misrepresented the legal findings, leading to damage to Trump’s reputation.
The settlement of this case came just one day after a judge requested depositions from both Trump and Stephanopoulos.
The quick resolution shows how intensely both sides were prepared to fight in court.
For ABC News, settling the case and issuing an apology may have been a way to avoid a prolonged legal battle.
For Trump, this settlement further fuels his string of legal victories since his win in the November 5 presidential election.
This comes on the heels of a recent appeal court ruling that dismissed charges related to Trump’s alleged mishandling of classified documents after leaving office.
In a separate case, U.S. Special Counsel Jack Smith paused federal charges against Trump related to attempts to subvert the 2020 election results.
However, Trump still faces racketeering charges in Georgia related to the same issue.
In a further twist, a judge recently delayed sentencing in Trump’s hush money case, which remains the only criminal trial against him so far.
Despite the ongoing legal challenges, this defamation settlement shows that Trump remains a formidable figure in both politics and the courtroom.
The legal battles are far from over, but this settlement marks a significant moment in the broader saga surrounding Trump.
As ABC News moves forward, it will likely be more cautious with its on-air statements regarding Trump.
