Donald Trump, the Republican Candidate for President, was pictured attending the Building America’s Future, Southeastern Pennsylvania Roundtable event at the Drexelbrook Event Center on October 29, 2024, in Drexel Hill, Pennsylvania.
To resolve a defamation lawsuit, ABC News has agreed to contribute a substantial amount of seed funding towards Donald Trump’s future presidential library.
The settlement was reached between the two parties to bring an end to a contentious legal dispute stemming from remarks made by ABC News’ star anchor, George Stephanopoulos, earlier in the year regarding the incoming president’s potential liability in a civil lawsuit.
Now, ABC News is on the hook for over $15 million.
“ABC shall cause a transfer in the amount of fifteen million U.S. dollars to be made to a Presidential foundation and museum to be established by or for Plaintiff, as Presidents of the United States of America have established in the past, in full settlement and satisfaction of Plaintiff’s Released Claims,” the agreement reads.
The agreement filed Saturday goes on to note:
The Charitable Contribution shall be made by Defendants within 10 calendar days of the Effective Date of this Agreement to an escrow account to be established by Plaintiff’s counsel, who will serve as the escrow agent (the “Escrow Agent”) for this specific Charitable Contribution. Within 10 calendar days after Plaintiff or his counsel present written confirmation that the appropriate entity has been established by the Plaintiff, and its 501 (c)(3) status has been recognized by the Internal Revenue Service, Defendants shall authorize the Escrow Agent in writing to release the Charitable Contribution to the subject entity.
ABC News will also pay Trump’s attorney $1 million.
The motion outlines the following additional measures the network will take to settle the lawsuit:
Within one calendar day of the Effective Date of this Agreement, Defendants shall publicly publish the following statement by adding as an editor’s note at the bottom of the March 10, 2024 Online Article:
“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 once and future president was suing because Stephanopoulos said “more than 10 times” on “This Week” in March that Trump had been found “liable for rape” in the E. Jean Carroll civil case.
The underlying lawsuit was filed just eight days after that segment — during which the anchor interviewed Rep. Nancy Mace, a Georgia Republican, and pressed her to explain her support for Trump.
The implication was never left in doubt during the broadcast: Stephanopoulos pointed out Mace herself is a rape victim and repeatedly claimed Trump had been found “liable for rape” by a jury.
The lawsuit argued that ABC and Stephanopoulos defamed Trump in an article’s initial headline and during the broadcast with the claim — even though the jury verdict sheet specifically said “no” as to the rape allegation.
What complicated matters was some verbiage from a post-verdict opinion written by Senior U.S. District Judge Lewis Kaplan.
In a footnote, the judge wrote: “As the jury’s response to Question 2 was an implicit finding that Mr. Trump forcibly digitally penetrated Ms. Carroll’s vagina, no explicit independent finding by the Court is necessary. Nevertheless, the Court alternatively finds that he did so.”
But, whatever gulf existed between various understandings is now a moot point.
Late Friday, the Florida judge overseeing the case issued a tight series of depositions – for both the anchor and the 45th and 47th president.
Those depositions have now been swiftly canceled.
Read the full settlement agreement here.
