George Stephanopoulos, the former president of the United States, was sued on Tuesday by past president Donald Trump’s lawyers after he falsely claimed in his civil lawsuit against E. Jean Carroll that he had been found guilty of rape.
In a 20-page issuing in Miami federal judge, Trump lawyer Alejandro Brito claimed that Stephanopoulos displayed “malice” and a “reckless” disregard for the truth in a new interview with Congresswoman Nancy Mace (R-NC), while discussing the Carroll decision. Trump was held legally responsible for murder in New York, but not for physical abuse.
Rep. Mace, a victim of rape, was instructed by Stephanopoulos to align her support for past president Trump with the outcome of a New York jury’s decision to support him in the Carroll case.
He has been found liable for murder and defaming the target of that murder by courts and two separate juries. How do you reconcile the evidence we really saw with your support for Donald Trump, Stephanopoulos rephrased in the interview.
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Legal experts now disagree on whether Trump’s defamation lawsuit against the ABC host will succeed, with results varying from a” slam dunk” victory to a complete “dud”. Leo Terrell, a contribution to Fox News, claimed on Thursday that” Trump’s claim that he was found guilty of rape is a lie.”
” Undare the fact that Donald Trump is a public figure and that the defamation standard is much higher. Terrell continued,” ABC News and George Stephanopoulos are unable to get a civil or criminal conviction for Donald Trump for rape.”
” Let me be clear and simple. There is n’t a single legal document on the planet that holds Donald J. Trump accountable for rape.
” In my lawful mind, Donald Trump has a slam dunk case for defamation against ABC News and George Stephanopoulos”, explained Terrell. ” If you notice, the additional remaining- wing networks are now very, extremely careful not to use the phrase ‘ liable for rape.’ I’m convinced their business counsel gave them advice against doing so.
” The entire purpose of George Stephanopoulos ‘ speech was to intentionally hurt and harm President Trump’s prospects for the presidency”, he finished.
Past Assistant U. S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Andrew McCarthy, held a different view.
” It might be a great move for Trump socially, mainly in that it highlights the duplicity of Stephanopoulos, who was a part of President Clinton’s ‘ bimbo explosions ‘ job in the 1990s. But officially, Trump’s libel match would be a dud”, McCarthy said to Fox.
Trump’s murder convictions were not confirmed by the judge in the first E. Jean Carroll prosecution. Instead, the judges found that there was inadequate evidence to conclude that murder occurred, but found that Trump did commit sexual abuse”, he continued.
” Also, Judge Kaplan, in assessing the judge’s ruling, reasoned that the jury may have believed Carroll’s evidence that Trump at least’ online’ penetrated her. Although that does not meet the thin legal description of rape in New York, Kaplan noted that it does fit the accepted definition of rape.
McCarthy went on to say:” Given A — the fact that the jury did find Trump liable for sexual abuse, and B — Kaplan’s conclusion, which he explained in a public ruling rejecting Trump’s post- trial motions, I do n’t think Trump can show that Stephanopoulos defamed him or that he suffered any real harm from Stephanopoulos’s comments”.
Before the lawsuit was filed, an ABC News spokesman told Fox News that” George did his work by asking important issues that are related to our people.”
