NEW YORK — In a significant legal settlement, ABC News has agreed to allocate $15 million to the planned presidential library of Donald Trump, as part of a resolution to a defamation lawsuit stemming from false statements made by anchor George Stephanopoulos regarding Trump’s legal battles with writer E. Jean Carroll. The network has also consented to cover $1 million in legal fees for Trump’s attorney, within an agreement disclosed this Saturday.
The case revolved around allegations by Stephanopoulos during a broadcast of “This Week” on March 10. He inaccurately claimed that Trump had been found liable for rape in civil court cases involving Carroll, prompting a swift legal response from Trump’s team.
Under the terms of the settlement, the funds for the future presidential library will be handled as a “charitable contribution” to a non-profit organization dedicated to the library’s establishment. ABC News, as part of the initial responses to the lawsuit’s conclusion, has already posted an editor’s note on their website expressing regret over the misleading comments made in the segment.
ABC News spokesperson Jeannie Kedas expressed satisfaction that the lawsuit could be resolved amicably in light of the settlement, thus avoiding further litigation. With the agreement signed last Friday by both parties, it removes the necessity for a potentially contentious deposition process previously set by a Florida federal judge.
The detailed terms of the settlement mandate ABC News to deposit the $15 million into an escrow account managed by Brito’s law firm within the upcoming 10 days. Additionally, the network is required to settle the attorney’s fees in the same timeframe.
Despite the considerable amount, the $15 million pledged toward Trump’s presidential library represents merely a portion of the anticipated total cost. By comparison, former President Barack Obama’s library in Chicago is estimated at $830 million.
The origin of the defamation suit dates back to a brief exchange on ABC’s “This Week”, where Stephanopoulos mischaracterized the outcomes of Carroll’s two civil cases against Trump. Contrary to his assertions on air, the verdicts did not conclude that Trump was liable for rape as defined under New York law, but rather for sexual abuse and defamation.
Carroll first publicized her accusations against Trump in a 2019 memoir, asserting that he assaulted her in a Manhattan department store in the mid-1990s, an encounter Trump vehemently denies. Following Trump’s derogatory remarks about Carroll, she initiated further defamation litigation seeking damages and a retraction.
In two separate trials, juries found Trump liable for sexual abuse and defamation, ordering him to pay millions in damages, decisions Trump is currently appealing.
In the broader context of legal definitions, the judge overseeing Carroll’s cases noted that New York law defines rape more narrowly than commonly understood, explaining that the jury’s verdict did not align with every allegation but affirmed significant parts of Carroll’s claims.
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