The Central Park Five, now known as the Exonerated Five, have filed a defamation lawsuit against Donald Trump over his remarks during a presidential debate. Trump falsely claimed that the five men, who were wrongfully convicted of assaulting a woman in Central Park in 1989, had admitted to the crime and that the victim had died. In reality, the men had pleaded not guilty and the victim survived. The lawsuit alleges that Trump’s statements were “demonstrably false” and have caused the men to suffer injuries. The men spent years in prison before being exonerated in 2002 when DNA evidence linked another man to the crime. The city later settled with the men for $41 million. The lawsuit was filed in Pennsylvania by Yusef Salaam, one of the men, who was present at the debate. The men are seeking damages through a trial. Trump’s comments regarding the Central Park Five have resurfaced as a controversial part of his past, as the case was emblematic of racial tensions and crime in New York City at the time. The lawsuit against Trump is ongoing, and further updates are expected.
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Central Park Five Cleared of Wrongful Convictions Sue Trump for Defamation Following Debate Remarks
