Judge Orders Depositions for Trump, George Stephanopoulos in ABC Lawsuit

Trump is suing the information host and ABC for defamation over statements made in regards to the E. Jean Carroll case.

A Justice of the Peace decide in Florida has ordered President-elect Donald Trump and ABC Information host George Stephanopoulos to seem for depositions this month as a part of an ongoing lawsuit between the 2.

Earlier this yr, Trump sued Stephanopoulos and ABC Information, alleging that the “This Week” host defamed him when he said throughout an interview with Rep. Nancy Mace (R-S.C.) {that a} jury discovered Trump answerable for rape.

A quick order from Justice of the Peace Decide Lisette Reid states that depositions for Trump and Stephanopoulos shall happen for not than 4 hours throughout the week of Dec. 16.

The ABC interview came about after two civil lawsuits in New York from creator E. Jean Carroll, who in 2019 accused Trump of raping her someday within the Nineties. Whereas the jury in that case rejected her declare that she was raped, it discovered Trump chargeable for a type of sexual abuse. Trump has denied any wrongdoing.

Trump’s lawsuit in opposition to Stephanopoulos facilities on an interview in March when Stephanopoulos requested Mace about her endorsement of Trump with feedback she made about rape victims being doubted.

At one level throughout the interview, Stephanopoulos stated that “Donald Trump has been discovered answerable for rape by a jury.” He additionally requested Mace: “Why are you supporting somebody who’s been discovered answerable for rape?”

Simply over per week after that interview aired on March 10, Trump sued Stephanopoulos within the Southern District of Florida. His March 18 criticism famous that the jury’s verdict kind said that Carroll didn’t show past a preponderance of the proof that Trump raped her.

ABC moved to dismiss the case whereas arguing that statements within the interview had been considerably true and guarded beneath the honest report privilege, a authorized doctrine that shields journalists from libel lawsuits once they report on honest and correct accounts of official proceedings or paperwork.

Its submitting pointed to a July 2023 opinion by Southern District of New York Decide Lewis Kaplan, who stated that New York regulation outlined rape extra narrowly than it’s ordinarily utilized in dialog.

“The discovering that Ms. Carroll didn’t show that she was ‘raped’ throughout the that means of the New York Penal Regulation doesn’t imply that she didn’t show that Mr. Trump ‘raped’ her as many individuals generally perceive the phrase ‘rape,’” Kaplan wrote.

Decide Cecilia Altonaga rejected the movement in July. She stated that “an inexpensive viewer — particularly one who was conscious that Plaintiff had been charged with rape beneath New York Penal Regulation — might have been misled by Stephanopoulos’s statements, which didn’t embody the jury’s authentic findings and solely fleetingly referenced the interpretation Decide Kaplan later provided.”

Altonaga stated that “[a]ny remaining questions as to the reasonableness of Stephanopoulos’s statements should not for decision on a movement to dismiss.”

She additionally left open the chance {that a} jury would see adequate context within the ABC anchor’s feedback.

“A jury could, upon viewing the section, discover there was adequate context,” she wrote. “A jury can also conclude Plaintiff fails to determine different components of his declare. … however an inexpensive jury might conclude Plaintiff was defamed and, because of this, dismissal is inappropriate.”

Jack Phillips contributed to this report.