Trump sues ABC, George Stephanopoulos for defamation after host accused him of rape in Mace interview
Former President Donald Trump has filed a defamation lawsuit against ABC News and George Stephanopoulos, alleging that his reputation was unjustly damaged by the anchor's repeated on-air statements that Trump had been found liable for raping writer E. Jean Carroll.
The lawsuit was filed in federal court in Miami on Monday following a viral interview between US Rep. Nancy Mace (R-SC) and Stephanopoulos on “This Week” on March 10, as reported by The Hill.
The legal action targets Stephanopoulos’ line of questioning, specifically his assertion that Trump had been found “liable for rape,” despite a Manhattan civil case jury last year only finding Trump liable for sexual abuse under New York law.
Stephanopoulos asked during the interview, “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?”
In a 20-page complaint, Trump’s attorney Alejandro Brito accused Stephanopoulos of making false statements "with actual malice or with a reckless disregard for the truth." Brito emphasized, “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.”
The former president is seeking unspecified damages in the lawsuit.
Comments