ABC News has agreed to pay $15 million toward Donald Trump’s presidential library to settle a defamation lawsuit over anchor George Stephanopoulos’ inaccurate on-air assertion that the US president-elect had been found civilly liable for raping writer E. Jean Carroll.
As part of the settlement, the American news site posts an editor’s note expressing regret over Stephanopoulos’ statements during a March 10 segment on his “This Week” program. ABC will also pay $1 million in legal fees to the law firm of Trump’s attorney, Alejandro Brito.
The settlement agreement describes ABC’s presidential library payment as a “charitable contribution,” with the money earmarked for a nonprofit organization that is being established in connection with the yet-to-be-built library.
“We are pleased that the parties have reached an agreement to dismiss the lawsuit on the terms in the court filing,” ABC News spokesperson Jeannie Kedas says.
A Trump spokesperson declines comment.
Trump, Stephanopoulos and ABC executives signed the settlement agreement on Friday.
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