ABC News has agreed to pay $15 million to former U.S. President Donald Trump’s presidential library as part of a settlement in a defamation lawsuit. The case arose after anchor George Stephanopoulos incorrectly stated during a March broadcast of This Week that Trump had been found liable for raping E. Jean Carroll. The settlement also includes $1 million to cover Trump’s legal fees and requires a public apology and correction clarifying the legal findings in Carroll’s lawsuits, which did not establish rape under New York law.
Filed in March in the U.S. District Court for Southern Florida, Trump’s lawsuit accused Stephanopoulos and ABC News of defamation, alleging that the comments were made recklessly and with malice. The correction, mandated by the settlement, will be published on ABC’s website and will express regret for the misstatement made during an interview with Rep. Nancy Mace.
The controversy stemmed from civil lawsuits filed by Carroll against Trump. While a jury found Trump liable for sexually assaulting Carroll and awarded her damages, it did not find him guilty of rape under New York’s legal definition. Judge Lewis Kaplan emphasized that while “rape” is commonly understood in a broader sense, the jury’s decision adhered to the precise legal definition. Trump has denied the allegations and is appealing the verdicts.
