US Elections: Central Park Five Sue Trump Over False Debate ‘Confessions’

Five men known as the “Central Park Five” who were wrongly convicted of raping a jogger in New York’s Central Park 30 years ago have filed a defamation lawsuit against former US president Donald Trump. The lawsuit is based on statements Trump made during a September 10 televised debate with Vice President Kamala Harris.

The Central Park Five, who were teenagers at the time of their convictions, claim they were coerced into giving false testimony. Although they were acquitted years later, the group points to Trump’s false remarks about their case, particularly his statement during the debate in which he said the men “pleaded guilty.”

In response to Harris’ criticism during the debate, in which she referenced Trump’s 1989 call to reinstate the death penalty in the wake of the attack, Trump incorrectly claimed that the five men had pleaded guilty and had harmed or killed someone. However, the lawsuit alleged that Trump’s statements were “false,” noting that neither man had admitted to any crime and that the victim of the Central Park attack did not die.

The lawsuit notes that just 11 days after the Central Park attack, Trump placed a full-page ad in four New York newspapers calling for the reinstatement of the death penalty.

“Many people, including Mayor Bloomberg, agreed with me on the Central Park Five,” Trump said, incorrectly referring to former New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg rather than Ed Koch, who was mayor at the time.

The five men, acquitted in 2002, are seeking compensation, although no specific amount has been requested. Instead, they are asking for a hearing to determine the amount of damages.