The Exonerated Five – also known as the Central Park Five – sued Donald Trump for defamation, false light and intentional infliction of emotional distress on Monday (October 21). The wrongfully convicted men pursued legal action after Trump lied about their infamous case in a presidential debate against Vice President Kamala Harris.
Harris mentioned Trump’s past statements about the Exonerated Five at their September debate. Trump responded by saying Yusef Salaam, Antonio Brown, Kevin Richardson, Raymond Santana and Korey Wise pleaded guilty to crimes connected to the 1989 attack and rape of a woman in New York. Trump also claimed a Central Park assault victim was killed.
“Defendant Trump’s statements were false and defamatory in numerous respects,” the Exonerated Five’s lawyers argued. “Plaintiffs never pled guilty to the Central Park assaults. Plaintiffs all pled not guilty and maintained their innocence throughout their trial and incarceration, as well as after they were released from prison. None of the victims of the Central Park assaults were killed … Defendant Trump also omitted key facts, further rendering his statements false, misleading and defamatory. These include, among other things, the fact that the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office later acknowledged that the teens’ confessions were unreliable and conflicted with the objective evidence; that four of the five were acquitted of attempted murder; that all five men’s convictions were later vacated; that the true perpetrator, Matias Reyes, confessed; that DNA evidence confirmed that Reyes was the true perpetrator; and that the City of New York ultimately agreed to pay $41 million for its conduct toward Plaintiffs.”
The Exonerated Five said Trump’s remarks were negligent “with knowledge of their falsity and/or with reckless disregard for their falsity.” The lawsuit accused Trump of not apologizing for his “extreme and outrageous” statements when confronted by Salaam.
“After the debate, Defendant Trump passed through the post-debate ‘spin room ‘fielding questions from attendees,” attorneys noted. “As Defendant Trump approached Plaintiff Salaam, other attendees asked Defendant Trump, ‘Will you apologize to the Exonerated Five?’ and ‘Sir, what do you say to a member of the Central Park Five, sir?’ When Defendant Trump did not respond, Plaintiff Salaam said, ‘President Trump, I’m Yusef Salaam, one of the Exonerated Five. How are you doing’ Defendant Trump responded, ‘Ah, you’re on my side then.’ Plaintiff Salaam then said, ‘No, no, no, I’m not on your side.’ Defendant Trump proceeded to wave his hand at Plaintiff Salaam, smile and walk away. Plaintiff Salaam was attempting to politely dialogue with Defendant Trump about the false and defamatory statements that Defendant Trump had made about Plaintiffs less than an hour earlier, but Defendant Trump refused to engage with him in dialogue.”
More than 30 years ago, Trump called for the Exonerated Five to face the death penalty. To this day, he has refused to admit he was wrong about them despite their exoneration.
“This is 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,” Trump’s campaign spokesperson said. “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 5.”
The Exonerated Five sought undisclosed damages. Their 1989 case was covered extensively in Ken Burns’ documentary The Central Park Five.
