ABC News settles defamation lawsuit with Donald Trump, agrees to pay $15mn
File image of US president-elect Donald Trump and ABC anchor George Stephanopoulos.
ABC News reached a legal settlement with United States President-elect Donald Trump in a defamation lawsuit and agreed to pay $15 million as part of it which also ended the dispute around an interview in which anchor George Stephanopoulos was accused of defaming Trump.
The money paid out by ABC News will be transferred to a "Presidential foundation and museum to be established by or for Plaintiff, as Presidents of the United States of America have established in the past", as per the settlement terms released on Saturday (Dec 14).
Another $1 million will be paid out by the defendants - identified as ABC, ABC News and Stephanopoulos - to the president-elect's counsel.
According to the settlement, a note will also be added by the network and the bottom of the online news article regarding this story which was published on March 10, 2024.
"ABC News and George Stephanopoulos regret statements regarding President Donald J Trump made during an interview by George Stephanopoulos with Rep. Nancy Mace on ABC's This Week on March 10, 2024," the note will read.
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In a statement, an ABC News spokesperson said the company was "pleased that the parties have reached an agreement to dismiss the lawsuit on the terms in the court filing".
What was the defamation case about?
A lawsuit was filed by Trump against ABC and Stephanopoulos in Miami federal court after the anchor said various that Trump was “found liable for rape” while hosting a “This Week” interview with Rep. Nancy Mace, which was not true.
Watch:Top CEOs Threatened By Donald Trump Donating To His Inauguration Fund
A jury in Manhattan had found Trump liable for sexually abusing his former advice columnist E. Jean Carroll at a department store in 1996 and later making defaming remarks against her while denying the allegations in his statements. The jury had ordered Trump to pay $5 million in May 2023.
In the complaint, the president-elect's lawyers alleged that Stephanopoulos “knowingly or recklessly made multiple false and disparaging statements regarding Plaintiff during ABC broadcasts."
During the interview, Stephanopoulos said that Trump "has been found liable for rape by a jury". However, the jury found him liable for sexually abusing Carroll in a civil case and did not find him liablefor her alleged rape.
(With inputs from agencies)