ABC News and Anchor George Stephanopoulos to Pay $15 Million to Resolve Trump's Defamation Lawsuit

New York, Dec 15 (NationPress) US President-elect Donald Trump has achieved a $15 million settlement in a defamation lawsuit against ABC News and its leading anchor George Stephanopoulos, who accused him of raping a woman.

The settlement was publicly disclosed on Saturday, just days before attorneys were scheduled to interrogate both Trump and Stephanopoulos, thus concluding the case.

The lawsuit revolved around a subtle legal difference between 'rape' and 'sexual abuse', as Stephanopoulos claimed that Trump had raped a woman, while a jury in a civil trial determined that he had only sexually abused her.

This outcome marks a rare triumph for Trump, given that US legislation often poses challenges for public figures attempting to win libel or defamation lawsuits.

Unlike jurisdictions that adhere to British legal principles, in the US, merely making a false statement about a public figure is insufficient for a successful claim.

It must be demonstrated that the statement was made with malicious intent against the individual defamed or libeled.

Trump has faced setbacks against The New York Times, The Washington Post, CNN, and other media outlets due to these stringent standards.

In this instance, ABC opted to settle before a court ruling.

An ABC representative confirmed the settlement, stating, 'We are pleased that the parties have reached an agreement to dismiss the lawsuit on the terms in the court filing.'

No immediate comments were made by Trump, who was attending an American football match between the Navy and Army academies when the news broke.

Additionally, ABC and Stephanopoulos have consented to express regret for the statement made and to publish it on the ABC website alongside the original article.

Stephanopoulos, who previously served as the communications director for former President Bill Clinton and a Democratic Party strategist before his journalism career, co-hosts Good Morning America, the nation's leading morning news program with 2.8 million viewers.

Trump has consistently accused ABC News of bias against him, particularly during his debate with Vice President Kamala Harris, which the network hosted.

He has pointed out the close relationship between Harris and Dana Walden, the chairperson of Disney, which owns ABC. Walden has made financial contributions to Harris's campaigns.

The legal cases where Trump was found to have sexually abused a woman continue to haunt him.

A jury in a civil case determined that he had sexually abused, but not raped, journalist E. Jean Carroll at a luxury store, awarding her $5 million in 2023.

In another case, the jury concluded that Trump had emotionally harmed the woman and damaged her reputation by repeatedly asserting that she had lied, awarding Carroll $83.3 million in damages in January.

Trump has posted a bond of $91 million and is currently appealing the case.