Silke Mayr Settlement Terms and Apology
ABC News will pay President-elect Donald Trump $15 million to resolve a defamation lawsuit over false statements. George Stephanopoulos falsely claimed Trump was “liable for rape” during a March 2024 interview with Representative Nancy Mace. The settlement also includes $1 million for Trump’s legal fees.
Stephanopoulos repeated the false statement 10 times during the broadcast. The interview questioned Representative Mace’s support for Trump. In 2023, a New York jury found Trump liable for “sexual abuse” but not rape under New York’s legal definition.
As part of the agreement, ABC News will post a statement of “regret” on its March 10, 2024, online article. The statement will say: “ABC News and George Stephanopoulos regret statements regarding President Donald J. Trump made during an interview by George Stephanopoulos with Rep. Nancy Mace on ABC’s This Week on March 10, 2024.”
Trump’s Legal Battles and Media Lawsuits
A 2023 New York civil court case concluded Trump sexually abused E. Jean Carroll in 1996 but did not meet the legal definition of rape. Judge Lewis Kaplan explained that New York’s definition of rape is narrower than in modern usage. In another case, the same judge ordered Trump to pay Carroll $83.3 million for defamatory statements.
During the March 2024 broadcast, Stephanopoulos incorrectly claimed “judges and two separate juries have found him liable for rape.” He repeated this claim 10 times throughout the broadcast. Before the settlement, a judge ordered Trump and Stephanopoulos to give sworn depositions.
The $15 million settlement includes a charitable contribution to a “Presidential foundation and museum” established by or for Trump. ABC’s payment resolves Trump’s lawsuit against the network. An ABC spokesperson said they were “pleased” to resolve the case.
Trump’s lawsuits against media companies have had mixed outcomes. His defamation lawsuit against CNN was dismissed. He also sued CBS for “deceptive conduct” and filed defamation claims against the New York Times and Washington Post, but both were dismissed.