A Florida judge rejected ABC's motion to dismiss a defamation lawsuit filed against the Disney-owned network and its anchor George Stephanopolous by former President Trump, allowing it to move forward.
The lawsuit stems from comments Stephanopoulos made in March when he falsely asserted that Trump was found "liable for rape" in a civil case against the Republican White House hopeful.
"A jury may, upon viewing the segment, find there was sufficient context. But a reasonable jury could conclude Plaintiff was defamed and, as a result, dismissal is inappropriate," Judge Cecilia Altonaga of United States District Court in Miami ruled Wednesday.
Stephanopoulos' comments were made during a tense exchange with Rep. Nancy Mace, R-S.C., on his Sunday program "This Week" in March.
After playing a clip of Mace discussing being a victim of rape, Stephanopoulos asked her, "How do you square your endorsement of Donald Trump with the testimony we just saw?"
"You've endorsed Donald Trump for president. Judges and two separate juries have found him liable for rape and for defaming the victim of that rape," Stephanopoulos said, alluding to the legal victory by Trump accuser E. Jean Carroll.
Stephanopoulos repeated that claim a whopping ten times during his ugly spat with Mace, despite the fact that a jury actually determined Trump was liable for "sexual abuse," which has a distinct definition under New York law.
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