Make no mistake: President-elect Donald Trump let ABC off easy; it only has to pay $15 million toward his future presidential library, plus $1 million for his lawyers’ fees, to get out of a defamation lawsuit it was sure to lose — and so avoid legal discovery that surely would have finished off whatever reputation its new division still has.
According to the settlement, ABC News will pay $15 million as a charitable contribution to a “Presidential foundation and museum to be established by or for Plaintiff, as Presidents of the United States of America have established in the past.” Additionally, the network will pay $1 million in Trump’s attorney fees.
The New York Post editorial board wrote that President-elect Trump did not press ABC host George Stephanopoulos as hard as he should have for defamatory claims that the reporter made. Stephanopoulos repeatedly claimed on March 10 that Trump had been “found liable for rape” in a case involving E. Jean Carroll, who filed a civil suit against Trump.
The settlement is being seen as a negative sign ahead of Trump’s return to office by some Trump critics, but The New York Post writes that it is actually an indication that corporations like ABC and Disney are trying to avoid more severe consequences.
We are pleased that the parties have reached an agreement to dismiss the lawsuit on the terms in the court filing.