Trump Seeks Dismissal of Central Park Five Defamation Lawsuit

(AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

President-elect Donald Trump petitioned a federal judge on Wednesday to dismiss a defamation lawsuit filed by the Central Park Five, a group of men exonerated in 2002 for a notorious 1989 rape case.

The lawsuit, launched in October, accuses Trump of making “demonstrably false” and harmful claims during his campaign.

At a September presidential debate against Vice President Kamala Harris, Trump stated that the men had killed someone and pleaded guilty to the crime. The men had been cleared of all charges following DNA evidence. The lawsuit alleges that Trump’s comments intentionally inflicted emotional distress and painted the men in a false light.

In court filings, Trump’s legal team argued that his statements were protected under the First Amendment as expressions of opinion on public matters.

“The President-elect’s speech about matters of public concern is safeguarded by the Constitution,” the attorneys wrote. The filing emphasized Trump’s right to weigh in on the case, a subject of significant historical and public interest.

Shanin Specter, the attorney representing the Central Park Five — Yusef Salaam, Raymond Santana, Kevin Richardson, Antron Brown, and Korey Wise — dismissed Trump’s defense.

“We look forward to taking discovery and proceeding to trial,” he said.

This is not the first time Trump has faced backlash over his comments about the Central Park Five. In 1989, following the attack on a jogger in Central Park, Trump notoriously purchased full-page newspaper ads calling for the reinstatement of the death penalty. Despite the men’s eventual exoneration, Trump has repeatedly refused to acknowledge their innocence.

Dhillon Law Group, representing Trump, declined comment to Reuters. On Monday, Trump announced plans to nominate the firm’s founder, Harmeet Dhillon, to lead the Justice Department’s civil rights division.