President-elect Donald Trump will receive $15 million in donations from ABC News over a defamation lawsuit settlement. The lawsuit was filed over the outlet’s star anchor George Stephanopoulos’ inaccurate on-air statement about Trump. Earlier this year, the anchor asserted that Donald Trump was found “liable for rape.” As per the settlement, the outlet’s donation will go towards Trump’s future presidential foundation. ABC News had to also pay a substantial amount in legal fees.
ABC News set to pay millions to settle defamation suit by Donald Trump
AP News reported that ABC News has agreed to pay $15 million to Donald Trump’s presidential library to settle the defamation lawsuit. The lawsuit came after George Stephanopoulos’ false on-air statement that Trump had been found civilly liable for raping E. Jean Carroll. The news anchor reportedly made the claim in March when he confronted Republican Nancy Mace’s support for Trump.
Last year, a jury in a civil case found Donald Trump legally responsible for sexual abuse and not liable for raping Carroll. According to the BBC, the jury further ordered Trump to pay the magazine columnist $5 million in damages.
Meanwhile, ABC News had to deal with more damages than just the initial $15 million. As part of the settlement, the outlet posted an editor’s note on its website, expressing regret over Stephanopoulos’ statements. The anchor made the comments during a segment of “This Week.” Moreover, the network will have to pay $1 million in legal fees to the law firm of Trump’s attorney, Alejandro Brito.
According to the settlement agreement that was signed on December 13, the $15 million toward the presidential library will be considered a “charitable contribution.” This will be set aside for a non-profit organization being established with the future library. ABC News spokesperson Jeannie Kedas also released a statement that stated, “We are pleased that the parties have reached an agreement to dismiss the lawsuit on the terms in the court filing.”
