President-elect Donald Trump’s defamation lawsuit against ABC News and its anchor, George Stephanopoulos, was formally dismissed on Monday after a settlement worth $15 million was reached.
The settlement includes a $15 million 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” by ABC News. Additionally, the network will pay $1 million for Trump’s attorney fees.
As part of the settlement, Stephanopoulos and ABC News also issued statements of “regret” as an editor’s note at the bottom of an online article about comments made earlier this year that prompted Trump to file the defamation lawsuit.
Trump had filed the lawsuit after Stephanopoulos repeatedly asserted during an interview that Trump was found “liable for rape” during a civil case, despite a jury determining Trump was liable for “sexual abuse,” which has a distinct definition under New York law.
The settlement came after both parties agreed to avoid a costly trial. The dismissal was approved by Chief U.S. District Judge Cecelia Altonaga and stipulated that each party would bear their own attorney’s fees and costs.
ABC News and Stephanopoulos regretted the statements made during the interview, and an editor’s note was added to the article to clarify that the comments made were incorrect.
Trump was represented by Florida attorneys Alejandro Brito and Richard Klugh, and the settlement was filed in the Southern District of Florida Federal Court.
