ABC News Settles Trump Defamation Lawsuit for $15 Million After Anchor Falsely Claimed President-Elect Was 'Liable for Rape'

ABC News has agreed to pay a $15 million settlement to fund Donald Trump's presidential library to settle a defamation lawsuit.

The lawsuit stemmed from comments made by anchor George Stephanopoulos, who falsely stated that Trump was found civilly liable for raping writer E. Jean Carroll on his television show, "This Week."

While a jury found Trump liable for sexual abuse and defamation, they did not conclude he committed rape under New York's legal definition.

As part of the settlement, ABC News also agreed to pay $1 million in legal fees and issued a public note of regret for the error, reported the Washington Post.

"We are pleased that the parties have reached an agreement to dismiss the lawsuit on the terms in the court filing," said Jeannie Kedas, a spokeswoman for ABC News in an interview with the Post.

The $15 million payment will go to a non-profit organization connected to Trump's planned library.

The settlement eliminates the need for depositions that were ordered for Trump and Stephanopoulos by a Florida federal judge.

The settlement is just one example in Trump's history of taking legal action against the press. He is currently embroiled in a defamation lawsuit against CBS Corporation about a 60 Minute segment featuring Kamala Harris.

Last week, CBS filed to dismiss Trump's $10 billion lawsuit over the editing of Harris in the interview.

Trump, who denied Carroll's allegations, is appealing previous verdicts that awarded her a total of $88.3 million.

Carroll claimed Trump sexually assaulted her in the 1990s. Her defamation lawsuits arose from his public denials of her allegations, which led to her firing from Elle Magazine.

Trump is still not off the hook for the January 6th charges for his role in inciting the Capitol Hill riots. A ruling is expected by the end of the year regarding civil suits.