ABC, Trump settle defamation lawsuit
ABC News to pay $15 million to settle Trump defamation suit
Fox News says ABC News and its top anchor George Stephanopoulos have reached a settlement with Donald Trump in his defamation suit, which will result in the news network paying the president-elect $15 million. The settlement was publicly filed on Saturday, revealing that the two parties have come to an agreement and avoided a costly trial. Raw & unfiltered. Watch non-stop stream of breaking news, live events and stories across the nation.
ABC News has agreed to give $15 million towards Donald Trump’s presidential library to settle a defamation lawsuit.
Here is what to know about the defamation lawsuit and ABC News’ settlement:
ABC News Trump defamation lawsuit
The defamation lawsuit involving Trump and ABC News goes back to a "This Week" segment with anchor George Stephanopoulos that aired on March 10, 2024.
In the segment, according to a settlement document made public on Saturday and obtained by The Associated Press, Stephanopoulos made an inaccurate on-air assertion that the president-elect had been found civilly liable for raping writer E. Jean Carroll.
Stephanopoulos claimed during an interview with Rep. Nancy Mace, R-S.C. on that day that Trump had been "found liable for rape," which misstated the verdicts in Carroll's two lawsuits against him.
Trump sued Stephanopoulos and the network for defamation soon after the segment aired.
Trump E. Jean Carroll lawsuit
FILE - Republican presidential nominee, former U.S. President Donald Trump holds a round table discussion with Black business owners before his rally at the Georgia State University Convocation Center on August 03, 2024, in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo b
In 2023, Trump was found liable for sexually assaulting and defaming Carroll and was ordered to pay her $5 million. In January, he was found liable on additional defamation claims and ordered to pay Carroll $83.3 million. Trump is appealing both verdicts.
Neither verdict involved a finding of rape as defined under New York law.
The judge in both cases, Lewis Kaplan, has said that the jury’s conclusion was that Carroll had failed to prove that Trump raped her "within the narrow, technical meaning of a particular section of the New York Penal Law."
RELATED: Trump posts bond, appeals $83M E. Jean Carroll judgment
ABC News defamation settlement
As part of the defamation settlement, ABC News has agreed to pay $15 million toward Donald Trump’s presidential library that will be marked as a "charitable contribution."
ABC will also post a note on its website expressing regret over the claim.
In a statement, ABC News said: "We are pleased that the parties have reached an agreement to dismiss the lawsuit on the terms in the court filing."
A Trump spokesperson declined comment.
Trump presidential library
The Trump Presidential Library is part of the Presidential Libraries system administered by the National Archives and Records Administration, a federal agency.
The Donald J. Trump Presidential Library and Museum has also not yet been built and a website currently serves as placeholder.
The money from ABC will go to a nonprofit organization that is being established in connection with the yet-to-be built library.
Thirteen former presidents have presidential libraries and museums that are open to the public, dating back to Herbert Hoover.
While sizeable, ABC's contribution to Trump's presidential library will likely cover just a fraction of the cost. Former President Barack Obama's library in Chicago, for example, was estimated to cost $830 million as of 2021. It’s not expected to open to the public until the spring of 2026.
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The Source: Information in this article about the lawsuit and settlement was taken from a settlement document made public on Saturday and obtained by The Associated Press. Information about The Trump Presidential Library was taken from the National Archives and Records Administration, a federal agency. Background information about the lawsuit involving Trump and Carroll was taken from previous FOX Television Station reportings and The Associated Press. This story was reported from Detroit.