ABC settles $16 million lawsuit over Stephanopoulos' Trump error
In March, a leading ABC News anchor, George Stephanopoulos, incorrectly reported that Donald Trump was found guilty of raping writer E. Jean Carroll. The then-presidential candidate immediately sued the network for defamation. An agreement was reached in this case on Saturday.
According to the settlement announced on Saturday, ABC News posted a statement on its website expressing regret over Stephanopoulos' comments. The network will also pay one million dollars to cover the legal costs of Trump's attorney, Alejandro Brito.
ABC will also allocate 15 million dollars for Trump's planned presidential library as a "charitable contribution."
- We are pleased that the parties have reached an agreement to dismiss the lawsuit on the terms in the court filing - said ABC News spokeswoman Jeannie Kedas.
Trump was convicted but has appealed the verdict
As reported by the Associated Press, during a live interview on the program "This Week" with Congresswoman Nancy Mace, Stephanopoulos stated that Trump was "found liable for rape" and "defaming the victim of that rape."
In the first court cases, Trump was found guilty of sexual assault and defamation against Carroll (but not of rape) last year. The jury ordered him to pay the victim 5 million dollars. In January, during the second court case, the Republican was additionally convicted of defamation and was instructed to pay Carroll 83.3 million dollars. Trump appealed both verdicts.
Carroll, a former columnist, wrote in her 2019 autobiography that Trump raped her in the mid-90s at the luxurious Bergdorf Goodman store in New York City, after they accidentally met at the entrance. The Republican denied the allegations. He claimed he did not know Carroll and had never encountered her at that location.
