President-elect Donald Trump filed a defamation lawsuit towards ABC News in March, and the case has now been resolved.
Find out extra concerning the lawsuit and its consequence beneath.
Why Did Trump Sue ABC News?
Trump filed a defamation lawsuit towards George Stephanopoulos after the ABC News anchor claimed throughout a March interview that Trump had been discovered “accountable for rape” in a civil case. The comment was made throughout a heated alternate between Stephanopoulos and Rep. Nancy Mace, R-S.C., following a clip through which Mace mentioned being a rape sufferer.
After airing the clip, Stephanopoulos questioned Mace on her endorsement of Trump, stating that judges and two separate juries had discovered Trump “accountable for rape and for defaming the sufferer of that rape.” This remark referred to the authorized victory by Trump’s accuser, E. Jean Carroll.
Stephanopoulos repeated the declare a number of occasions through the interview, even supposing Trump had solely been discovered accountable for sexual abuse, not rape, within the 2023 case filed by the author. Under New York legislation, sexual abuse is distinct from rape. In a subsequent ruling, Judge Lewis Kaplan clarified that whereas Carroll had not confirmed rape “throughout the which means of New York Penal Law,” it didn’t imply that Trump had not “raped” her within the broader, widespread understanding of the time period.
How Much Money Does ABC News Have to Pay Trump?
The information community has agreed to pay Donald Trump $15 million as a part of the settlement, with the funds earmarked for donation to a fund devoted to “a presidential basis and museum” for Trump. Additionally, the settlement features a fee of $1 million to cowl Trump’s legal professional charges, together with a proper apology from ABC News.
An editor’s word was additionally added to the underside of the March 10, 2024, on-line article regarding the feedback that prompted Trump’s defamation lawsuit. The word reads: “ABC News and George Stephanopoulos remorse statements relating to President Donald J. Trump made throughout an interview by George Stephanopoulos with Rep. Nancy Mace on ABC’s This Week on March 10, 2024.”