New Summary: In the aftermath of a defamation case, ABC News has agreed to donate $15 million towards Donald Trump’s presidential library. The network’s anchor, George Stephanopoulos, mistakenly accused Trump of being legally responsible for the sexual assault against writer E. Jean Carroll on his program “This Week” on March 10. The agreement’s details, disclosed on Saturday, highlight an upcoming apology for the claim on the ABC website, along with an extra $1 million to cover Trump’s legal fees.
The anchor’s statements during a conversation with Rep. Nancy Mace, R-S.C., were determined to be false in light of Carroll’s two legal cases against Trump. Trump was found at fault last year for sexually assaulting and defaming Carroll, with a penalty remains set at $5 million. In January, Trump suffered another defeat on supplementary defamation charges and was ordered to compensate Carroll with $83.3 million. Both rulings are currently being appealed by Trump.
While both rulings established Trump’s culpability, it’s crucial to point out that they did not include a formal recognition of rape under New York law. Judge Lewis Kaplan clarified that, as per procedural conditions, the jury’s conclusion was dependent on Carroll’s failure to verify the rape allegations against Trump as required by a specific part of New York Penal Law. Kaplan suggested that this Law’s standards for proving rape were narrower than the broader understanding of the term or stipulations in other local or federal criminal laws. However, the judge insisted this did not suggest Carroll was unable to prove she was assaulted by Trump using broader definitions.