OAN’s James Meyers
8:17 AM -Tuesday, March 19, 2024
Former President Donald Trump has officially filed a defamation lawsuit against ABC News and George Stephanopoulos, claiming his reputation was defamed by the anchor multiple times on-air when he said that Trump had been found liable for raping writer E. Jean Carroll.
The lawsuit was filed by Trump on Monday in a Miami federal court over a newsworthy interview between Representative Nancy Mace (R-S.C.) and Stephanopoulos on the program “This Week,” which aired on March 10th.
The lawsuit directly aims at how Stephanopoulos, during multiple occasions in his questioning, stated that Trump had been found “liable for rape.” The jury had found Trump liable for sexual abuse under New York law, but not rape.
“Judges and two separate juries have found him liable for rape and for defaming the victim of that rape. How do you square your endorsement of Donald Trump with the testimony we just saw,” Stephanopoulos asked during the interview.
“These statements were and remain false, and were made by Defendant Stephanopoulos with actual malice or with a reckless disregard for the truth given that Defendant Stephanopoulos knows that these statements are patently and demonstrably false,” Trump’s attorney, Alejandro Brito, wrote in the 20-page complaint.
“Indeed, the jury expressly found that Plaintiff did not commit rape and, as demonstrated below, Defendant George Stephanopoulos was aware of the jury’s finding in this regard yet still falsely stated otherwise,” Brito continued.
Meanwhile, Trump asked for an unspecified amount of damages in the lawsuit. The exact number has not yet been reported.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates.
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