ABC News Settles Defamation Lawsuit with $15 Million Payment toward Donald Trump’s Presidential Library
ABC News has agreed to pay $15 million as part of a settlement in a defamation lawsuit filed by former President Donald Trump. The settlement stems from inaccurate comments made by anchor George Stephanopoulos during a March 10 segment of his “This Week” program, where he incorrectly asserted that Trump had been found civilly liable for raping writer E. Jean Carroll. As part of the agreement, ABC News issued an editor’s note expressing regret over the error and committed to a $1 million payment toward legal fees for Trump’s attorney, Alejandro Brito. The $15 million settlement will be directed toward the construction of Trump’s presidential library, a “charitablecontribution” intended for a nonprofit organization connected to the library’s future. “We are pleased that the parties have reached an agreement to dismiss the lawsuit on the terms in the court filing,” said ABC News spokesperson Jeannie Kedas.
