ABC News has agreed to pay $15 million to settle a defamation lawsuit filed by President-elect Donald Trump. According to court documents filed on Saturday, the lawsuit was sparked by remarks made by anchor George Stephanopoulos during a March interview with US Representative Nancy Mace. Stephanopoulos incorrectly stated that Trump had been "liable for rape."
As part of the settlement, ABC News will donate $15 million to a fund set up for "a presidential foundation and museum" for Trump. The network and Stephanopoulos will also publicly apologize, expressing their "regret" over the comments made in the interview. In addition, the network will cover $1 million in attorney fees.
The settlement came just a day after Judge Lisette M. Reid requested depositions from both Trump and Stephanopoulos.
In reality, Trump was found liable for sexual abuse in a 2023 case involving writer E. Jean Carroll, not rape, as defined under New York law.
This settlement adds to Trump`s legal victories since winning the November 5 presidential election. Just last month, a US appeals court dismissed charges related to Trump`s alleged mishandling of classified documents after leaving the White House.
Special Counsel Jack Smith also paused a separate federal case concerning Trump’s attempts to overturn the 2020 election results, though Trump still faces racketeering charges for the same issue in Georgia.
In the hush money case, the only criminal charges to go to trial, Judge Juan Merchan has indefinitely postponed Trump’s sentencing.
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