“Settlement includes payments to a presidential foundation, attorney fees, and an official apology for statements made in a March 2024 interview.”
Washington DC [US], December 15: ABC News has agreed to settle a defamation lawsuit filed by US President-elect Donald Trump for $15 million, with the payment directed to a “presidential foundation and museum,” according to a report by CNN.
The settlement also includes $1 million to cover Trump’s attorney fees and an official apology for statements made by network anchor George Stephanopoulos during a March 2024 interview.
As part of the agreement, ABC News will append an editor’s note to the article central to the lawsuit. The statement reads:
“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,” CNN reported.
An ABC News spokesperson commented on the resolution, stating, “We are pleased that the parties have reached an agreement to dismiss the lawsuit on the terms in the court filing.”
Trump’s Defamation Lawsuit
The defamation lawsuit, filed by Trump in a Florida federal court earlier this year, alleged that statements made by Stephanopoulos during an interview with South Carolina GOP Rep. Nancy Mace were “false, intentional, malicious and designed to cause harm.”
The statements referenced a jury’s 2023 verdict involving E. Jean Carroll, a journalist and advice columnist, who accused Trump of sexually assaulting her in the late 1990s. During the interview, Stephanopoulos said a jury determined Trump had “raped” Carroll, a claim Trump vehemently denied.
The jury found Trump liable for sexually abusing Carroll and awarded her more than $2 million in damages. They also ruled that Trump defamed Carroll in separate instances, awarding her $3 million in additional damages.
Details of the Settlement
Under the settlement terms, ABC News will pay $15 million to a presidential foundation and museum and an additional $1 million to cover Trump’s legal expenses.
The resolution marks the conclusion of a case that Trump claimed had severely damaged his reputation.
