Politics | November 1st, 2024

The Exonerated Five sues Trump for “false and defamatory statements” during the presidential debate

By: Naji Rutherford | Staff Writer

On Oct. 21, five teenagers who were falsely accused of assaulting a jogger in Central Park in 1989 filed a defamation lawsuit against Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump, accusing him of making “false and defamatory” statements.

Trump’s Debate Comments Spark Legal Action
The lawsuit focuses on the Sept. 10 presidential debate, where Trump said the group of boys pleaded guilty to the crimes they were accused of when Vice President Kamala Harris discussed the issue.

“They admitted, they said they pled guilty, and I said, ‘well, if they pled guilty, they badly hurt a person, killed a person ultimately… And they pled guilty, then they pled not guilty’,” Trump said during the debate. However, no one died in the case.

On April 19, 1989, five Black and Latino teenagers were arrested and charged for the rape and assault of Trisha Meili in Central Park. They were later exonerated from these charges in 2002 after newfound DNA evidence was presented matching Matias Reyes, who confessed to the attack. The men later sued New York City for false arrest, malicious prosecution, and racially motivated conspiracy, reaching a settlement of $41 million a decade later.

An Infamous Case of Injustice and Its Lingering Impact
The case plagued New York City for decades, kindling racist rhetoric and exposing racial injustice in the legal system across America. Over the decades, the Central Park jogger case has remained one of the most infamous and tragic examples of wrongful conviction in history.

Now collectively referred to as the Central Park Five and Exonerated Five, Yusef Salaam, Kevin Richardson, Antron Brown, Korey Wise, and Raymond Santana are asking for a jury trial to determine compensatory and punitive damages for Trump’s statements during the debate.

“Defendant Trump falsely stated that plaintiffs killed an individual and pled guilty to the crime. These statements are demonstrably false,” the Five wrote in the Philadelphia civil suit.

“Plaintiffs never pled guilty to any crime and were subsequently cleared of all wrongdoing. Further, the victims of the Central Park assaults were not killed.”

After reopening decades worth of wounds in the presidential debate, the Five seek to “correct the record and clear their names once again,” according to Shanin Specter, the Five’s attorney.

Trump’s History with the Central Park Five
This is not the first time Trump has made controversial comments regarding the Five. As the case made headlines across the nation in 1989, Trump infamously wrote a full-page advertisement titled: “BRING BACK THE DEATH PENALTY. BRING BACK OUR POLICE!” Trump’s $85,000 worth of advertisements appeared in the New York Times and other national newspapers.

In the advertisement, Trump wrote that New York is “ruled by the law of the streets, as roving bands of wild criminals roam our neighborhoods, dispensing their own vicious brand of twisted hatred on whomever they encounter.” “They should be forced to suffer and, when they kill, they should be executed for their crimes,” he wrote.

In an interview with Larry King from CNN’s archives, Trump doubled down on his stance. “I don’t see anything inciteful; I am strongly in favor of the death penalty,” he said. “Maybe hate is what we need if we’re gonna get something done.”

Seeking Restitution for Decades of Defamation
In the 2024 lawsuit, the Five aim to refute over 30 years of unjust statements from the former president and resolve the racial stigma and hysteria of the case. With claims of defamation, false light, and intentional infliction of emotional distress, the Five request damages of over $75,000, with more to be determined in court.

In a statement, Trump’s campaign spokesperson, Steven Cheung, called the lawsuit “just another frivolous, election interference lawsuit, filed by desperate left-wing activists, in an attempt to distract the American people from Kamala Harris’s dangerously liberal agenda and failing campaign.” Cheung added, “The frantic lawfare efforts by Lyin’ Kamala’s allies to interfere in the election are going nowhere, and President Trump is dominating as he marches to a historic win for the American people on November 5th.”

Following the upcoming presidential election, the Exonerated Five, including New York City Council Member Salaam, have been campaigning in support of Harris. Four members of the Five spoke at the Democratic National Convention earlier this year, condemning Trump for never apologizing for his past statements.

“Our youth was stolen from us,” Korey Wise said at the DNC. “We were innocent kids. But, we served a total of 41 years in prison.”