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ABC News has agreed to pay $15 million toward Donald Trump’s presidential library as part of a settlement in a defamation lawsuit stemming from inaccurate statements by anchor George Stephanopoulos. The settlement also includes a $1 million payment for legal fees to Trump’s attorney, Alejandro Brito.
The controversy began after Stephanopoulos, during a March 10 episode of This Week, incorrectly stated that Trump had been found civilly liable for raping writer E. Jean Carroll. In reality, the jury in Carroll’s lawsuits against Trump did not make such a finding under the legal definition of rape in New York law.
The settlement, made public on Saturday, includes an editor’s note posted to ABC News’ website acknowledging the error. The $15 million contribution to Trump’s yet-to-be-built presidential library is categorized as a charitable donation.
“We are pleased that the parties have reached an agreement to dismiss the lawsuit on the terms in the court filing,” said Jeannie Kedas, spokesperson for ABC News.
Trump’s legal team has not commented publicly on the settlement, which was signed by both parties on Friday.
Details of the Settlement
Under the terms of the agreement, ABC News will transfer $15 million to an escrow account managed by Brito’s law firm within 10 days, alongside the $1 million in legal fees. The settlement also precludes Trump and Stephanopoulos from testifying in depositions that had been ordered by a federal judge.
The settlement follows Trump’s federal lawsuit against ABC and Stephanopoulos, filed shortly after the erroneous broadcast. During the segment, Stephanopoulos claimed Trump had been “found liable for rape” and for defaming Carroll. While Trump was found liable for sexual abuse and defamation in two separate trials, the legal definition of rape, which requires vaginal penetration, was not met.
The inaccurate statements fueled significant backlash, prompting Trump’s legal team to pursue damages.
Background on Carroll’s Allegations
E. Jean Carroll accused Trump of sexually assaulting her in a Manhattan department store in the mid-1990s. She filed two lawsuits against Trump after he publicly denied her claims, calling her a “nut job” and accusing her of fabricating the story to sell her memoir.
In the first trial, a jury awarded Carroll $5 million after finding Trump liable for sexual abuse and defamation. In the second trial, Trump was ordered to pay $83.3 million for additional defamation claims. Trump has appealed both verdicts.
While the jury concluded that Carroll did not prove rape under New York’s technical legal definition, U.S. District Judge Lewis Kaplan clarified that this did not mean Trump’s conduct didn’t meet the broader, commonly understood definition of the term.
ABC’s Contribution to the Presidential Library
Though significant, ABC’s $15 million settlement covers only a fraction of the potential cost of Trump’s presidential library. For comparison, Barack Obama’s library in Chicago is projected to cost over $830 million.
This settlement marks a rare resolution in high-profile defamation cases involving media organizations and public figures. It also underscores the importance of precision in reporting on complex legal matters.
