Trump ordered to sit for 4-hour deposition next week with George Stephanopoulos: report
President-elect Donald Trump has sued ABC News' George Stephanopoulos, and now the judge has decided both must sit for depositions next week.
Legal reporter Kyle Cheney shared the judge's order and mandate Friday afternoon on Bluesky. Among the judges' demands is that they provide all documents related to the lawsuit and "damages."
"Plaintiff’s deposition will be limited to four hours and shall take place in-person and in this district. Plaintiff’s counsel shall schedule the deposition to take place the week of December 16, 2024," the order also said.
ALSO READ: Behind the legal tactics Trump is using to dodge justice for January 6
The court also ruled that the Stephanopoulos deposition must be limited to four hours and must be held one week from Dec. 16.
Judge Lisette M. Reid reminded both parties that the court "has already granted a lengthy discovery period ... and, with Election Day now behind us, there is no reason for any further delay."
“I can understand your frustration,” Reid told ABC News lawyer Nathan Siegel. She also said Trump had a “fairly good argument” to be unavailable while running for office. However, “he’s now a completely different posture, and he should be able to make himself available.”
“I’m going to do everything in my power to make the president available,” agreed Trump’s lawyer, Alejandro Brito. “But there are limitations of my ability to do so. I have to factor the Secret Service into the equation.” He assured the court that he would immediately work with Trump’s staff to figure out his availability next week.
Trump sued Stephanopoulos after the ABC News host characterized Trump's loss in the E. Jean Carroll case, as being “found liable for rape” by a federal jury in Manhattan. The jury found that Trump "sexually abused" Caroll in a mid-1990s encounter in a department store. The jury did not find officially that he had raped her.
"Months later, however, while tossing Trump’s countersuit against Carroll, U.S. District Judge Lewis Kaplan wrote that “Mr. Trump in fact did ‘rape’ Ms. Carroll as that term commonly is used and understood," NBC News reported.