Washington:
ABC News will pay a $15 million settlement payment to resolve a defamation lawsuit filed by President-elect Donald Trump, according to court documents filed Saturday.
The lawsuit stemmed from on-air comments by top host George Stephanopoulos, who said Trump was “found liable for rape” during an interview with U.S. Rep. Nancy Mace that aired in March.
The terms of the settlement require ABC News to make a $15 million donation to a fund dedicated to “a presidential foundation and museum” for Trump.
The news organization and Stephanopoulos will also issue a public apology, saying they “regret statements” made about Trump during the aforementioned interview, and the broadcaster will pay an additional $1 million in attorney fees.
The case was settled a day after Judge Lisette M. Reid requested statements from both Trump and Stephanopoulos.
Trump was found liable for sexual assault — a different offense than rape under New York law — in a 2023 case filed by writer E. Jean Carroll.
The settlement marks the latest victory in Trump’s legal fortunes since he won the Nov. 5 presidential election.
Last month, a US appeals court dismissed charges alleging Trump’s alleged mishandling of classified documents as he left the White House.
U.S. Special Counsel Jack Smith also dropped a second federal case involving Trump’s efforts to undermine the 2020 election results, although Trump faces racketeering charges over the same matter in a case from Georgia.
And because of Trump’s May conviction in the hush money case — the only criminal charge against him to go to trial — Judge Juan Merchan postponed sentencing indefinitely.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)