jilibet ABC News settles $15 million defamation suit with Donald Trump

US President Donald Trump poses with ABC New anchor George Stephanopoulos ahead of a town hall event at the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on September 15, 2020. FILE PHOTO/Agence France-Presse

WASHINGTON — ABC News will pay a $15 million settlement payment to resolve a defamation lawsuit brought by President-elect Donald Trump, according to court documents filed Saturday.

The lawsuit stemmed from on-air comments made by top anchor George Stephanopoulos, who said Trump was found “liable for rape” during an interview with US Representative Nancy Mace that aired in March.

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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.

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READ: Trump sues CNN claiming defamation, seeks $475 million in punitive damages

The country’s balance of payments (BOP) position recorded a $3.5-billion surplus in September, a reversal from the $414-million deficit posted a year ago, the BSP said in a report.

The news organization and Stephanopoulos will also issue public apologies saying they “regret statements” made about Trump during the aforementioned interview, and the broadcaster will pay an addition $1 million in attorney fees.

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The case was settled one day after Judge Lisette M. Reid requested depositions from both Trump and Stephanopoulos.

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Trump had been found liable for sexual abuse — a different transgression from rape under New York law — in a 2023 case filed by writer E. Jean Carroll.

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READ: Donald Trump found liable for sexually abusing writer E. Jean Carroll

The settlement marks the latest victory in Trump’s string of legal fortune since winning the November 5 presidential election.

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Last month, a US appeals court granted the dismissal of charges for Trump’s alleged mishandling of classified documents upon exiting the White House.

US Special Counsel Jack Smith also paused a second federal case regarding Trump’s efforts to subvert the 2020 election results, although Trump faces racketeering charges over the same issue in a case out of Georgia.

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And for Trump’s May conviction in the hush money case — the only criminal charges against him to go to trial — Judge Juan Merchan has indefinitely postponed sentencing.jilibet

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