Disney Bows to Donald Trump
Disney 0. Trump's long-running battle with Disney saw an unprecedented win for the president-elect this month, when the corporation's ABC News agreed to a $15 million settlement over a defamation lawsuit.In a deal announced on December 14, ABC News agreed to pay the sum toward Trump's presidential library and issue a public apology in order to settle a defamation lawsuit over inaccurate statements made by anchor George Stephanopoulos during a broadcast earlier this year.The lawsuit was filed after Stephanopoulos said during a March 10 segment of ABC News' This Week while interviewing Representative Nancy Mace, a South Carolina Republican, that Trump had been "found liable for rape." While Trump was last year found liable for sexually abusing and defaming writer E.
Jean Carroll, neither verdict involved a finding of rape as defined under New York law.Trump was last year ordered to pay Carroll $5 million after an initial lawsuit.
In January, he was ordered to pay her $83.3 million on additional defamation claims. He is appealing both verdicts and has denied any wrongdoing.ABC News' settlement with Trump was announced days after U.S.
Magistrate Judge Lisette Reid ordered the incoming president and Stephanopoulos to submit to four-hour depositions. The settlement sparked a backlash from both sides of the political aisle, with one half framing it as a dishonest entity being justly punished and the other accusing the news outlet of kowtowing to Trump.In his lawsuit, Trump had accused Stephanopoulos of acting with "actual malice," which would have been a tough task for the GOP figurehead to prove had the case gone to trial in April, as had been planned.
