The Exonerated Five , formerly known as the Central Park Five , has filed a defamation lawsuit against Donald Trump following false statements he made during a recent presidential debate.
As per the news agency AP, their lawsuit aims to hold Trump accountable for the harm caused by his repeated false claims.
The lawsuit, filed in Philadelphia federal court, claims Trump made "false and defamatory" remarks during his debate with Vice President Kamala Harris in September, where he incorrectly claimed the men had killed someone and pleaded guilty to the crime.
“Defendant Trump falsely stated that plaintiffs killed an individual and pled guilty to the crime. These statements are demonstrably false,” the group wrote in the federal complaint.
The group, consisting of Yusef Salaam , Korey Wise, Raymond Santana, Kevin Richardson, and Antron McCray, were wrongfully convicted in 1989 for the rape and assault of a jogger in Central Park. Despite their convictions being overturned in 2002 due to new DNA evidence and another person’s confession, Trump’s comments during the debate revived painful memories for the men.
During the televised debate, Trump said, “They admitted, they said they pled guilty… if they pled guilty they badly hurt a person, killed a person ultimately.” In reality, no one died in the attack, and the men’s confessions were later proven to have been coerced.
The lawsuit, which seeks compensatory and punitive damages, argues that Trump’s statements were made recklessly and with disregard for the truth.
The men’s attorney, Shanin Specter , said Trump had “essentially defamed them in front of 67 million people," causing them to relive the injustice they had previously endured. Specter also denied any political motive behind the lawsuit, stating that their goal was to seek justice in court.
Trump’s spokesperson, Steven Cheung, dismissed the lawsuit as politically motivated, calling it “just another frivolous, election interference lawsuit, filed by desperate left-wing activists.” The Trump campaign has not yet issued a formal response to the lawsuit.
The Central Park Five case has been a longstanding point of contention between Trump and the group. In 1989, Trump took out a full-page ad in New York newspapers, calling for the reinstatement of the death penalty in response to the crime.
Despite the exoneration of the men, Trump has consistently refused to retract or apologise for his comments. In 2019, he reiterated that “they admitted their guilt," even after DNA evidence cleared them.
The group, now referred to as the Exonerated Five, has been actively campaigning against Trump, with Salaam now serving as a member of the New York City Council.
As per the news agency AP, their lawsuit aims to hold Trump accountable for the harm caused by his repeated false claims.
The lawsuit, filed in Philadelphia federal court, claims Trump made "false and defamatory" remarks during his debate with Vice President Kamala Harris in September, where he incorrectly claimed the men had killed someone and pleaded guilty to the crime.
“Defendant Trump falsely stated that plaintiffs killed an individual and pled guilty to the crime. These statements are demonstrably false,” the group wrote in the federal complaint.
The group, consisting of Yusef Salaam , Korey Wise, Raymond Santana, Kevin Richardson, and Antron McCray, were wrongfully convicted in 1989 for the rape and assault of a jogger in Central Park. Despite their convictions being overturned in 2002 due to new DNA evidence and another person’s confession, Trump’s comments during the debate revived painful memories for the men.
During the televised debate, Trump said, “They admitted, they said they pled guilty… if they pled guilty they badly hurt a person, killed a person ultimately.” In reality, no one died in the attack, and the men’s confessions were later proven to have been coerced.
The lawsuit, which seeks compensatory and punitive damages, argues that Trump’s statements were made recklessly and with disregard for the truth.
The men’s attorney, Shanin Specter , said Trump had “essentially defamed them in front of 67 million people," causing them to relive the injustice they had previously endured. Specter also denied any political motive behind the lawsuit, stating that their goal was to seek justice in court.
Trump’s spokesperson, Steven Cheung, dismissed the lawsuit as politically motivated, calling it “just another frivolous, election interference lawsuit, filed by desperate left-wing activists.” The Trump campaign has not yet issued a formal response to the lawsuit.
The Central Park Five case has been a longstanding point of contention between Trump and the group. In 1989, Trump took out a full-page ad in New York newspapers, calling for the reinstatement of the death penalty in response to the crime.
Despite the exoneration of the men, Trump has consistently refused to retract or apologise for his comments. In 2019, he reiterated that “they admitted their guilt," even after DNA evidence cleared them.
The group, now referred to as the Exonerated Five, has been actively campaigning against Trump, with Salaam now serving as a member of the New York City Council.
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