December 14, 2024

As long as I'm talking about apologies...

"George Stephanopoulos and ABC apologize to Trump, are forced to pay $15 million to settle defamation suit/ABC News will pay $15 million as a charitable contribution to a Trump presidential foundation and museum" (Fox News).

The defamation had to do with the E. Jean Carroll lawsuit. Stephanopoulos incorrectly asserted "Donald Trump has been found liable for rape by a jury."

41 comments:

gilbar said...

what happened with his felonies? have they all been dropped?
what about the "fraud" claim about him claiming that Mar a lago was worth more than than a small 2 bedroom house?

Big Mike said...

Settlement needs another zero. Given that it was Stephanopoulus there could never have been any question about actual malice.

Saint Croix said...

Initially, Stephanopoulos was defiant in the face of Trump’s lawsuit, telling CBS late-night host Stephen Colbert that he wouldn’t be "cowed out of doing my job because of a threat."

"Trump sued me because I used the word ‘rape,’ even though a judge said that’s in fact what did happen. We filed a motion to dismiss," Stephanopoulos said.


It's so dishonest! The jury specifically acquitted Trump of the rape charge.

Paying $15 million is an acknowledgment that they knew it was dishonest, and they were afraid they would have to pay a lot more. Also, the amount is named, which is highly unusual, suggesting how desperate ABC was to settle.

The Godfather said...

Stephanopoulus isn't normally on Good Morning America on weekends, so will they bury this story by running it on Sunday? Or run it on Monday and characterize it as a Stephanopoulus win?

Saint Croix said...

The actual malice bar is so high! They must have had some really damning internal documents.

Saint Croix said...

WaPo also claimed that Trump is a rapist but I don't think he is suing them.

Kaplan doesn't exactly look like a legal genius, either. If you have to put quotation marks around your "rape" charge, maybe you shouldn't be making it.

Saint Croix said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Martin said...

"Stephanopoulos incorrectly asserted "
No Stephanopoulos lied. incorrectly asserted means he made a mistake. He said what he wanted to say knowing it was not true.

Quaestor said...

"Initially, Stephanopoulos was defiant in the face of Trump’s lawsuit, telling CBS late-night host Stephen Colbert that he wouldn’t be 'cowed out of doing my job because of a threat.'"

It's good to know Little Georgie's blowjob job isn't anything remotely like journalism. (I wonder if Bill misses those under-the-desk sessions.)

Rabel said...

Plus "One Million Dollars" for Trump's lawyers.

Cool that Steffie had to sign the settlement.

Rabel said...

"Stephanopoulos incorrectly asserted "Donald Trump has been found liable for rape by a jury."

Ten times.

Drago said...

Strange. Resident Althouse blog moron LLR-democratical Rich laughed and laughed and laughed at the mere mention of Trump suing for defamation, thus keeping Abacus Boy Rich's "Historical Correct Prediction Count" at a very cool "0"...as in Zero.

Saint Croix said...

E. Jean Caroll on Anderson Cooper:

"Most people think rape is sexy.
Most people think rape is a fantasy.""


Anderson Cooper: "Let's cut to a commercial."

Kaplan wouldn't allow the defense to play that tape, which is an astounding ruling, in my opinion.

RideSpaceMountain said...

"It was real in my mind" - E. J. Caroll

Saint Croix said...

I want to suggest that the Carroll lawsuit was a political hit, brought by the Democrat party, very much like the criminal prosecutions against Trump. The timing of it is very suspicious. It was lawfare from the get-go. They wanted to label him a "rapist" so they could keep him out of the White House. That was the goal. The jury subverted this goal by refusing to convict on the rape charge.

It's possible that ABC had some internal documents that suggested all this. And they were afraid this would come out at trial.

Why else shy away from the lawsuit? They have something to hide. You don't pay $15 million for an innocent mistake.

Dixcus said...

The fact that he hasn't been fired is all the evidence you need to know that "the news" isn't a business. He's doing exactly what the corporate owner of ABC News - Disney - wants him to do.

Dixcus said...

A country where a woman can successfully claim rape, and deny knowing when such rape occurred, thus denying you an opportunity to provide an alabi is a joke country. There is no justice in such a country.

Dixcus said...

Trump was a fool to settle. He always makes the 100% wrong decision.

Enigma said...

ABC settles here, WP and LA Times go neutral in their editorials. Little Justin Castreau of Canada smiles for a picture with Don, Mark Zuckerberg pays $1M for the inauguration, and Jill Biden points her lovey-dovey face at Don.

All of this kowtowing is transparent, but not too different than Biden's 2020 sycophants. See Jamie Dimon, Zuckerberg once again, Marriott Hotels, and Bank of America for example. Still, it'd be fair and hilarious if ABC was demoted to the standing area of press briefings, or banned outright because of "fake news" quality and ethics standards.

Saint Croix said...

He always makes the 100% wrong decision.

Suing ABC news was 100% right decision.

Your math is very bad.

I think you are 60% Moby, 30% A.I. Simulation, and 10% Wannabe Terrorist.

Peachy said...

No Soviet Democrat Legacy media outlet will even touch this.

n.n said...

Merry Christmas!

n.n said...

He knows when you've been naughty. He knows when you've been good. So, be good for goodness sake.

Ralph L said...

"Forced" isn't the correct word. It's a settlement to avoid a trial.
Carroll's two stupid, spiteful NYC juries really had me worried about Daniel Penny's. I wish she'd ride the subway alone at night for a long while, or be locked up with Crystal Mangum.

Greg The Class Traitor said...

Plus $1 million in Trump's Atty fees, so It's $16 million

ABC is paying $16 million because they were about to be forced into discovery.

It's a good move by Trump. He gets $1 million for the lawyers, $15 million for the Presidential Library, and ABC humiliated, which is priceless

Skeptical Voter said...

Suggle Up A Gus is a silly twit on his best day. It's too bad that some of this $15 million settlement didn't come directly out of his pocket.

Jaq said...

Ackchewahlly... The judge did say it, out of court in comments to the press, which infuriated me at the time because the jury never found it, what the jury finally was browbeat into conceding by the judge was that Trump had at least committed an "unwanted peck on the cheek," that was his instruction for sexual assault. So Stephie should sue the judge for misleading him.

Mason G said...

Claims of "fake news" have now been demonstrated in a court of law to be true. Trump is right again.

RideSpaceMountain said...

You'd better watch out
Let Trump tell you why
You'd better not doubt
How much they can lie

Quaestor said...

Saint Croix writes, "WaPo also claimed that Trump is a rapist but I don't think he is suing them."

Give him time. If Bezos is smart he'll be proactive.

Quaestor said...

Dixcus writes, "Trump was a fool to settle..."

I don't mean to imply an insult, but the market for your political analysis is rather depressed.

Kevin said...

So, fake news?

walter said...

Carrol should also pay the writers of that L&O episode.

Mr Wibble said...

It's the second time that Trump has gotten a whore to pay him.

Ambrose said...

It's beginning to look a lot like .......

Aggie said...

"He always makes the 100% wrong decision."

The most powerful man in the world, who just unexpectedly won another term by a landslide, by underspending his opposition - but you know better, as evidenced by.......

mccullough said...

No one is forced to settle. So how are they “forced to pay $15 million.” Fox News is shit.

Readering said...

Curious to know if Trump's lawyer was working on contingency. If not, $1m probably more than he put into the case since March. If yes, then he accepted big haircut on typical 30-40% of payment to plaintiff. Also curious if insurance paying defense. When tha happens insurer attends the mediation, and has sometimes big say in settlement. I defended a slander case with insurance coverage, and insurer pretty much forced settlement.

effinayright said...

Dixcus
Trump was a fool to settle. He always makes the 100% wrong decision.
*************

Yeah, that's why he's a multi-billionaire and you are sleeping on an exhaust grate by the side of an urban street.

Breathe in that steam, it's good for your weed-induced bullous lung disease!

bobby said...

I'm guessing that that public apology was both more rewarding to Trump, and more costly to the network, than any $15 million.

Ampersand said...

It would be spectacular to be able to capture Trump's interior monologue for the past two decades. All the bullshitters, the energy thieves, the lunatics, the true believers the suckups, the incompetents, the actual good human beings, and the endless succession of parasites. There lies the Great American Novel.