ABC News and anchor George Stephanopoulos are offering a public apology and $15 million to fund Trump's future presidential library in response to a defamation lawsuit filed by President-elect Trump, according to court documents filed Saturday. They agreed to settle the case by offering US dollars.
The settlement allows Castor and Trump to avoid appearing at court-ordered depositions next week.
Trump's remarks came after Stephanopoulos repeatedly said in an interview on “This Week” that a jury found Trump “responsible for rape” in a lawsuit filed by advice columnist E. Jean Carroll. He filed a lawsuit against the station and the anchor in March. The jury found that Trump was liable for sexual abuse under New York state law, but not for rape.
Under the settlement agreement, the network will ultimately put $15 million in escrow toward Trump's future presidential library and foundation. ABC also agreed to pay $1 million in attorney fees and add an editor's note at the end of related articles, according to court documents.
“ABC News and George Stephanopoulos have published comments about President Donald J. Trump that George Stephanopoulos made during an interview with Congresswoman Nancy Mace on ABC's 'This Week' on March 10, 2024. We regret this,” the memo said.
In return, President Trump agreed to drop the lawsuit and waive any legal claims arising from the interview.
“We are pleased that the parties have reached an agreement to dismiss the lawsuit under the terms of the court filing,” an ABC News spokesperson said in a statement.
A spokesperson for President Trump declined to comment on the written agreement.
The settlement was first reported by FOX News Digital.
The case was nearing trial after a bid by ABC to have it dismissed failed. As part of the discovery phase, a judge on Friday ordered both Trump and Stephanopoulos to give up to four hours of depositions next week.
Trump's lawyers argued that the anchor's comments damaged the then-candidate's reputation and sought unspecified damages.
Trump previously attempted to file a defamation suit against Carroll himself, accusing him of continuing to describe an encounter with Trump at a New York City department store in the mid-1990s as rape, despite the jury's verdict. .
But the judge rejected Trump's argument, noting that New York's legal distinction between “rape” and “sexual abuse” is minimal, and Carroll's account remains substantially true.
Updated at 4:56 PM ET.
