ABC News Defamation Settlement: Trump Wins Big After George Stephanopoulos 'Rape' Claim - Media Risk Assessment | Presidential Foundation | First Amendment Law | ABC News Trump Apology

ABC News Settles Defamation Lawsuit With Donald Trump Over Misinformation Reported on "This Week"

George Stephanopoulos concluded "This Week" on Sunday without discussion regarding ABC News’ settlement with Donald Trump who brought a defamation suit after false information was released. The lawsuit emerged after a segment on “This Week” which was followed by ABC agreeing to give $15 million to Trump's presidential foundation but neither topic was shown to viewers. ABC executives took a very reserved stance to the resolution.

Secret Rationale: Media Lawyers Question Motives Behind ABC News Settling Trump Lawsuit

ABC's settlement motives remain obscure among speculation from both sides however media lawyers suggest such early stage resolutions rarely occur . Conservative pundits suggested ABC was punished due to the network lying about Trump's actions. Liberal commentators believe ABC and Disney may have bowed to political pressures given the size of financial payment for what may not be a completely necessary decision. Ultimately both groups believe the reasons behind resolution are secret between sides. CNN spoke with multiple media law experts regarding this peculiar decision to settle and the timeline of events related to the matter.

Lawsuit Origin: Stephanopoulos Misrepresents Jury Finding In E Jean Carroll Case, Trump Responds

ABC News Defamation Settlement: Trump Wins Big After George Stephanopoulos 'Rape' Claim - Media Risk Assessment | Presidential Foundation | First Amendment Law | ABC News Trump Apology image 3

The lawsuit began from a March 10 2024 ABC segment when Stephanopoulos stated Donald Trump had been “found liable for rape” in the E. Jean Carroll civil case. Despite Trump denying wrongdoing jurors did find that he was responsible for sexual abuse but did not find that he was legally responsible for the action that constitutes rape. Donald Trump officially filed the suit one week later saying Stephanopoulos operated using “actual malice” against him which is required in defamation cases when a public person is at question. ABC attempted to dismiss the suit in court but in July judge Cecilia M Altonaga kept case moving forward and the case proceeded into pre-trial.

Pre-Trial Pressure: Court Rulings Forcing Depositions of Both Stephanopoulos and Trump

In July, the rejection of ABC's motion to dismiss caused the network to start discovery processes specifically meaning emails and other sensitive documents would be scrutinized creating problems for all entities involved. Judge Cecilia Altonaga said ABC had to provide any remaining documents to Trumps’ legal group right away because trial date was set for April. Furthermore, the same Judge Altonaga required the depositions of Stephanopoulos and also Trump but the settlement resolved this need. Court documents revealed the settlement agreement on the preceding Friday and the official court filing on Saturday confirmed monetary amount plus ABC apology letting the Trump political team celebrate.

Settlement Timeline: Speculation Surrounds Timing of Resolution Before Summary Judgment

Ken Turkel who was representing Sarah Palin speculated and shared the question of the “Why would they do this now” during conversation with other media colleagues. He also suggested ABC possibly decided to avoid actively litigating against the sitting President Donald Trump. Turkel also stated media groups focus preparation on “summary judgment” when dismissal requests fail questioning why ABC settled prior to reaching that step. Media attorney Turkel highlighted unique aspects of case involving a current president that might affect court judgements plus overall reputation issues associated with cases of public nature.

Internal Pressures: Potential Discovery Issues and Damage to Network Credibility

Attorney Erick Erickson also stated on X he believed a fifteen million dollar payment is a payment to "avoid discovery" hinting internal documentation might reveal potential missteps from network sources during their reporting. The settlement agreement indicates funds would be assigned to a Trump presidential foundation or museum enabling Donald Trump to highlight the issues with reporting and maybe display an element of pettiness by showcasing "Gallery of Fake News". ABC declined comment on any reasons for settlement.

ABC's Choice Avoids Risk: Trump's Litigation History and Reputational Considerations

Donald Trump had several unsuccessful court cases against news organizations over the years many believed that ABC would overcome any challenges with the trial especially considering burden on plaintiffs in defamation cases to prove “actual malice”. Trials can sometimes create negative public perception and also are generally hard to navigate when reputational damage can harm businesses such as ABC owned by Disney leading them to consider a settlement more useful option that would avoid possible court rulings. Renowned First Amendment attorney Floyd Abrams told CNN that the agreement represented a major win for Donald Trump. Floyd Abrams said ABC misrepresented their summarization of verdict creating high level of genuine risk by labeling Trump for rape while they were legally liable for sexual abuse adding the "disturbing" implications of such a large settlement to the newly elected president.