ABC News to pay Trump $15m in defamation case

KABUL (Pajhwok): An American television network has agreed to pay $15 million toward Donald Trump’s presidential library to settle a defamation lawsuit.

ABC News star anchor George Stephanopoulos’ false claim that Trump had been found liable for raping writer E. Jean Carroll had triggered the damages suit.

Under the settlement announced on Saturday, the Associated Press reported, ABC News posted an editor’s note to its website regretting Stephanopoulos’ statements in a March 10 interview.

The report said ABC News would also pay $1 million in legal fees to the law firm of Trump’s attorney, Alejandro Brito.

With regard to the settlement, ABC News spokesperson Jeannie Kedas said: “We are pleased that the parties have reached an agreement to dismiss the lawsuit on the terms in the court filing.”.

The agreement was reached on Friday, when a Florida federal judge instructed the president-elect and Stephanopoulos to attend separate depositions in the case next week.

But the need for sworn testimony has been obviated by the settlement.

PAN Monitor/mud