The Central Park 5 (Exonerated 5) Sues Donald Trump For Defamation

The five men known as the Exonerated Five, previously called the Central Park Five, have filed a defamation lawsuit against Donald Trump regarding his comments during a presidential debate last month. The lawsuit centers on remarks Trump made on September 10 in Pennsylvania, where he falsely stated that the men—Antron McCray, Kevin Richardson, Yusef Salaam, Raymond Santana, and Korey Wise—had pleaded guilty to the assault and rape of a jogger in Central Park in 1989 and claimed the victim had died.

Trump claimed, “They admitted—they said, they pled guilty… if they pled guilty they badly hurt a person, killed a person ultimately.” In reality, the men maintained their innocence throughout their trials, and the victim survived.

The lawsuit asserts that Trump’s statements are “demonstrably false,” emphasizing that the plaintiffs never pleaded guilty and were exonerated of all wrongdoing, with the actual victims of the Central Park assaults not being killed. It argues that the men, now in their 50s, have suffered harm due to Trump’s defamatory remarks.

When indicted as teenagers, they faced charges for the assault of the female jogger and other related crimes, ultimately spending years in prison before being exonerated in 2002 when DNA evidence identified another perpetrator. The city later settled with them for $41 million.

Their case has been scrutinized for claims of coercion and intimidation leading to false confessions, and it occurred amidst a climate of racial tension and crime-focused media coverage. Trump had previously called for the death penalty in response to the case.

The lawsuit was filed in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania. Notably, Salaam, now a New York City Council Member, was present during the debate.

While the five men did not specify a monetary amount sought, they requested a trial to assess damages. In response, Trump’s campaign characterized the lawsuit as a baseless effort by leftist activists to distract from other political issues. Their attorney, Shanin Specter, noted that while an apology from Trump would be beneficial, they do not expect it.