ABC News has been forced to pay $15 million as a settlement, with presenter George Stephanopoulos having to issue a public apology after President Trump filed a defamation suit for comments asserting he was found “liable for rape.”
ABC News has to pay President Trump $15M and $1M in attorney fees as a settlement to the defamation lawsuit he brought after George Stephanopoulos lied by saying that Trump was "found liable for rape."@ABC and George Stephanopoulos also must apologize as part of the settlement.… pic.twitter.com/yhJYcnbw9I
— Robby Starbuck (@robbystarbuck) December 14, 2024
During a March interview with Republican Rep. Nancy Mace, Stephanopoulos said “Judges and two separate juries have found him liable for rape and for defaming the victim of that rape,” in remarks alluding to the legal victory by Trump accuser E. Jean Carroll.
President Trump is suing George Stephanopoulos for defaming him and saying he was found liable for rape here in this shameful interview with Nancy Mace. ???pic.twitter.com/ANon5X5qoI
— JKash ?MAGA Queen (@JKash000) March 19, 2024
Stephanopoulos then repeated the claim ten times, despite the fact that a jury never made this distinct determination.
Stephanopoulos initially pushed back, telling Stephen Colbert that he wouldn’t be “cowed out of doing my job because of a threat,” and asserting “Trump sued me because I used the word ‘rape,’ even though a judge said that’s in fact what did happen. We filed a motion to dismiss.”
Fox News reports that the settlement was agreed upon after US Magistrate Judge Lisette M. Reid ordered Trump and Stephanopoulos to attend a deposition hearing that was scheduled for next week ahead of the Dec. 24 deadline for the defendants to file a motion for summary judgment, in order to avoid a trial.
In a statement, the network noted “ABC News and George Stephanopoulos regret statements regarding President Donald J. Trump made during an interview by George Stephanopoulos with Rep. Nancy Mace on ABC’s This Week on March 10, 2024.”
The money will be donated to “a Presidential foundation and museum” established by the president-elect.
Some are speculating that ABC News settled because they didn’t want Stephanopoulos’ emails and communications exposed and made public.
George Stephanopolous was set to sit for a 4 hour deposition and have his emails subject to discovery. That’s why they settled the case. To prevent people from learning how much ABC news lies. https://t.co/1V6an0NlSt
— Cernovich (@Cernovich) December 14, 2024
This is huge – total victory for Trump. Shame on George Stephanopoulos & ABC, who were forced to settle after the judge ordered George to sit for a deposition. They couldn’t have their star further embarrassed under oath. Good for Trump for fighting back. https://t.co/73T4sdQFX1
— Megyn Kelly (@megynkelly) December 14, 2024
$15 million to avoid deposition
— DonSurber.substack.com (@donsurber) December 14, 2024
These are Disney lawyers, remember
What did they not want to risk Stephanopoulos discussing? https://t.co/6c0MFTB0SM
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What’s missing is the back story. George Stephanopoulos got himself busted because his only source was a hit piece by Judge Kaplan after the jury verdict. He wrote an op-ed in the Washington Post saying for all intent and purpose Trump did diddle Carroll despite the jury checking ‘No’ on the rape charge. Trump was charged under the statute at the time of the supposed incident in the 1990s. He wrote it fully knowing NY State had changed the laws eliminating the separation of penal and digital insertion which is what the jury didn’t and did find him guilty of. If someone reads the article and looks up the charge ONLY the new charge is in the statute. It’s the most likely reason why George Stephanopoulos was so convinced he was right. Trump hopefully sues the judge too.
Still winning!