Exonerated Central Park Five Sue Trump After He Falsely Claimed They Pleaded Guilty During Debate

Oct 21, 2024, 03:34 PM

Antron McCray, Kevin Richardson, Yusef Salaam, Raymond Santana, and Korey Wise—the Central Park Five, now known as the Exonerated Five—have filed a defamation lawsuit against former President Donald Trump in federal court in Philadelphia. The lawsuit alleges that during the September 10 presidential debate on ABC News in Philadelphia, Trump falsely claimed they had pleaded guilty to crimes related to the 1989 Central Park jogger rape case, despite their exoneration in 2002. Trump also incorrectly stated that the victim had died. The men accuse Trump of engaging in defamation and intentional infliction of emotional distress by making false, misleading, and defamatory statements about them to an audience of 67 million viewers. They are seeking compensatory and punitive damages.