ABC and George Stephanopoulos settled Donald Trump’s defamation lawsuit for $15 million to be paid as a donation to Trump’s future presidential foundation. Stephanopoulos said Trump was found liable in a civil case for raping a woman, which wasn’t true.
In addition to the money settlement, Stephanopoulos and ABC will publish a statement expressing regret for the error and pay $1 million toward Trump’s legal fees.
Donald Trump is a nationally known celebrity and political leader, and the U.S. Supreme Court has laid down rigorous restrictions on defamation lawsuits brought by public figures. To prevail on a libel claim, a public figure must prove that the defendant acted maliciously by knowingly publishing a falsehood or with reckless disregard for whether the statement is true.
George Stephanopoulos is not the only person who has labeled Trump as a rapist. That falsehood has repeatedly been alleged on social media and in the legacy press. However, those allegations have probably been scrubbed from the web in light of the ABC settlement.
Responsible journalists who have circulated this falsehood should follow George Stephanopolis’s example and publicly admit they regret their error. And perhaps an apology is in order–whether or not it is sincere.
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| Photo credit: NY Times |
