Exonerated Five Sue Trump for Defamation

The Exonerated Five, formerly known as the Central Park Five, have filed a federal defamation lawsuit against former President Donald Trump for comments he made during a recent presidential debate. The lawsuit, filed on October 21, asserts that Trump made false claims, including that the men pled guilty to crimes related to the 1989 assault of a jogger and caused severe harm. The five men—Yusef Salaam, Raymond Santana, Kevin Richardson, Antron Brown, and Korey Wise—maintain their innocence and seek compensatory and punitive damages for the emotional distress caused by Trump's statements. Trump's spokesperson dismissed the lawsuit as 'frivolous' and a distraction from political issues. The case highlights the long-standing scrutiny surrounding Trump’s past comments and actions regarding the Central Park jogger case, which gained national attention in the late 1980s. The men’s convictions were vacated in 2002 after another individual was linked to the crime, and they previously received a settlement from New York City for their wrongful convictions.