A federal judge on Wednesday denied ABC News and George Stephanopoulos’ motion to dismiss former President Trump’s lawsuit alleging the anchor defamed him in a March interview.
The ruling allows Trump’s lawsuit against the network and Stephanopoulos to move forward, despite the anchor repeatedly claiming on air while interviewing a lawmaker that the former president had been found “responsible for rape” in a lawsuit filed by columnist E. Jean Carroll. The jury found Trump responsible for sexual abuse but not rape.
On a 21-page decision issued Wednesday, U.S. District Judge Cecilia Altonaga rejected several defenses ABC raised to Trump’s lawsuit, including that they were protected by fair reporting privilege.
Trump called the decision a “huge victory,” calling the anchor “little George Slopadopolus” in a post on Truth Social.
“Before you know it, the fake news media will be forced by the courts to start telling the truth,” Trump wrote.
Trump’s defamation allegations concern Stephanopoulos’ March 10 interview with Rep. Nancy Mace (R-S.C.) on “This Week.” When questioning the congresswoman about his support for Trump, Stephanopoulos said 10 times that a jury found Trump responsible for rape.
The federal lawsuit, filed in Miami, seeks unspecified damages.
Much of the network’s defense was based on a ruling by U.S. District Judge Lewis Kaplan, an appointee of former President Clinton who oversaw Carroll’s trials against the former president.
Although the jury did not find Trump liable for rape under New York’s definition, Kaplan rejected Trump’s claims that Carroll was defaming him by continuing to describe him that way, saying the legal distinction “is minimal.”
ABC and Stephanopoulos claimed the ruling is binding on Trump’s new lawsuit. But the judge on Wednesday denied that argument, also indicating that it was unclear whether the anchor’s statements were substantially true.
“Here, of course, New York chose to separate the crime from rape; and Stephanopoulos’ statements were not about the public’s use of that term, but about the jury’s consideration of it during a formal legal process,” Altonaga, who was nominated by former President George W. Bush, wrote in her ruling.
The decision allows the case to move into the discovery process and move closer to trial.
“Once again, the Court does not find that a reasonable jury should – or even is likely – to conclude that Stephanopoulos’ statements were defamatory,” Altonaga wrote.
“A jury may, upon viewing the segment, conclude that there is sufficient context,” she continued. “A jury could also conclude that Plaintiff fails to establish other elements of his claim…But a reasonable jury could conclude that Plaintiff was defamed and, as a result, dismissal is inappropriate.”
The Hill has reached out to ABC News for comment.
This story originally appeared on thehill.com read the full story
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