ABC News has agreed to pay $15 million to Donald Trump to settle a lawsuit over top anchor George Stephanopoulos’ claims that he was found civilly liable for the rape of writer E. Jean Carroll.
The settlement, first reported by Fox Newswas filed publicly on Saturday, revealing that the parties had reached an agreement in the lawsuit.
It states that the network will pay $15 million as a charitable contribution to Trump’s presidential library.
ABC will also post a note on its website expressing regret over the allegation in a March 10 segment on “This Week” made by Stephanopoulos.
They will also pay his legal fees as part of the settlement, which total $1 million.
A statement from the network said: “ABC News and George Stephanopoulos regret statements about President Donald J. Trump made during an interview by George Stephanopoulos with Representative Nancy Mace on ABC’s This Week on March 10, 2024.”
Trump had sued Stephanopoulos and the network for defamation shortly after the segment aired.
His lawyers accused Stephanopoulos of making the statements with “malice” and disregard for the truth.
In the segment, he interviewed Republican Rep. Nancy Mace, with Stephanopoulos pressing her on why she supported Trump after he was found liable for sexual assault.
The settlement was filed publicly on Saturday and revealed that the parties had reached an agreement in the lawsuit
ABC will also post a note on its website expressing regret over the claim in a March 10 segment on “This Week” created by Stephanopoulos, seen here
Stephanopoulos said, “I’m asking you a question about why you support someone who has been found liable for rape.”
The congresswoman continued, “As a rape victim who has been shamed for years for her rape. You’re trying to shame me again.’
Mace was raped when she was 16 years old and says this drives her to be an advocate for women’s issues.
“I supported a man who I believe is the best for our country. It’s not Joe Biden. You watched the dueling meetings in Georgia yesterday.
Laken Riley’s family was with Donald Trump. They were not the same man yesterday with Joe Biden, who apologized for calling her killer an illegal who was illegal.
And here you are trying to shame a rape victim. I think it’s disgusting.’
‘You keep saying I’m a disgrace to you. What does a question about a presidential candidate say…’ Stephanopoulos said. “You’re asking a rape victim,” Mace interrupted.
A jury in New York ordered Trump in May 2023 to pay $5 million in damages for sexual abuse of Carroll in the 1990s.
He was subsequently ordered to pay another $83.3 million for defamation after publicly denying sexually assaulting Carroll in a department store dressing room in 1996.
“You are trying to shame me for my political choice,” Mace told Stephanopoulos. ‘It was not a criminal court’
Mace was raped when she was 16 years old and says this drives her to be an advocate for women’s issues
Jurors had deliberated less than three hours after a two-week civil trial in which the former president testified for just three minutes.
Stephanopoulos initially opposed the lawsuit, telling Stephen Colbert that he “would not be deterred from doing my job because of a threat.”
He added: “Trump sued me for using the word ‘rape’ even though a judge said it actually happened. We have filed a motion to dismiss.”
Trump is also suing CBS News for $10 billion in damages, saying the network “conducted deceptively” when it interviewed Vice President Kamala Harris in October.
Lawyers for the president claimed numerous violations by the broadcaster, including lying in a deliberate and malicious manner, according to a lawsuit.
They wrote that the complaint arises from CBS’ partisan and unlawful election acts and voter interference through malicious, deceptive and substantial news distortion intended to confuse, deceive and deceive the public.”
Trump and his team also claim that CBS News tried to provide coverage for Democrats by making Kamala Harris’ performance look better than it was.