ABC News has agreed to pay $15 million to U.S. President-elect Donald Trump to settle a defamation lawsuit after the channel's anchor falsely claimed that he was found “responsible for rape.” This was reported by the BBC, according to UNN.
Details
The lawsuit was filed on March 19 in the South Florida District Court. It alleged that American TV host George Stephanopoulos made malicious and false statements during an interview with Congresswoman Nancy Mace on ABC's This Week on March 10, 2024. In particular, Stephanopoulos stated that Trump had been convicted of rape, which was not the case, and asked Mace how she could support his candidacy.
We are pleased that the parties have reached an agreement to terminate the lawsuit on the terms set out in the court documents
This statement concerned a civil case initiated by writer E. Jean Carroll, who accused Trump of rape. Trump's representatives stated that Stephanopoulos' comment was false, malicious, and violated professional standards of journalism.
To avoid further legal proceedings, ABC News agreed to pay and publish a formal apology. The statement, which is to appear on their website, states that ABC News and George Stephanopoulos regret the statements made.
According to the terms of the settlement, ABC News is obliged not only to make the payment, but also to publish a statement by Sunday in the accompanying article to the March 10 interview. The statement should read: “ABC News and George Stephanopoulos regret the statements made about President Donald J. Trump during George Stephanopoulos' interview with Congresswoman Nancy Mays on ABC's This Week on March 10, 2024.
Recall
Donald Trump accused CBS of manipulatively editing Kamala Harris' interview on the Gaza war. A lawsuit was filed in a Texas court demanding $10 billion in compensation.