Exonerated Central Park Five file defamation lawsuit against Donald Trump

The Exonerated Five, formerly known as the Central Park Five, have filed a defamation lawsuit against Donald Trump, accusing him of making false statements during a recent presidential debate.
According to a report by the Associated Press, the lawsuit seeks to hold Trump accountable for the harm caused by his repeated false claims.

The legal action, filed in a Philadelphia federal court, stems from remarks Trump made during his September debate with Vice President Kamala Harris, where he falsely claimed that the five 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 their complaint.

The Exonerated Five—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. Their convictions were overturned in 2002 following the discovery of new DNA evidence and a confession from another individual. Trump’s recent comments during the debate have reopened old wounds for the men, who have spent years working to rebuild their lives after their wrongful imprisonment.

During the nationally televised debate, Trump stated, "They admitted, they said they pled guilty… if they pled guilty, they badly hurt a person, killed a person ultimately.” In reality, no one was killed in the attack, and the confessions obtained from the men were later proven to have been coerced.

The lawsuit seeks both compensatory and punitive damages, arguing that Trump’s statements were made recklessly, with a complete disregard for the truth. Shanin Specter, the attorney representing the group, emphasized the harm caused by Trump's remarks, noting that "Trump essentially defamed them in front of 67 million people." Specter further clarified that there was no political motive behind the lawsuit, stating that the men were simply seeking justice in court.

Trump's spokesperson, Steven Cheung, dismissed the lawsuit as politically driven, labeling it "just another frivolous, election interference lawsuit, filed by desperate left-wing activists." The Trump campaign has yet to formally respond to the legal action.

The Central Park Five case has long been a contentious issue between Trump and the group. In 1989, Trump took out a full-page advertisement in several New York newspapers, calling for the reinstatement of the death penalty in response to the crime. Despite their exoneration, Trump has consistently refused to retract his statements or offer an apology. In 2019, he reaffirmed his belief that "they admitted their guilt" even after DNA evidence proved their innocence.

Now known as the Exonerated Five, the men have been vocal critics of Trump, with Yusef Salaam recently becoming a member of the New York City Council.