JUST IN: Federal Judge Rejects Trump’s Bid to Dismiss $40 Million Defamation Lawsuit Filed by Five Wrongfully Convicted Men in Central Park Jogger Case

JUST IN: Federal Judge Rejects Trump’s Bid to Dismiss $40 Million Defamation Lawsuit Filed by Five Wrongfully Convicted Men in Central Park Jogger Case

In a stunning legal development, former U.S. President Donald Trump has failed to convince a federal judge to dismiss a $40 million lawsuit accusing him of making defamatory and racially inflammatory statements about the “Central Park Five”—five Black and Hispanic men who were wrongfully convicted in the 1989 rape of a white jogger in New York City.

The lawsuit, brought by the now-exonerated men, alleges that Trump’s repeated public comments over the years, including a full-page newspaper ad he paid for in 1989 and later remarks during his political rise, inflicted lasting reputational harm even after the men were cleared by DNA evidence and the confession of the actual perpetrator in 2002.

U.S. District Judge Melissa Thompson handed down the decision Tuesday in a packed Washington, D.C. courtroom, ruling that the lawsuit can proceed to trial. In her opinion, Judge Thompson wrote that Trump’s statements—both historical and recent—“plausibly meet the standard for defamation” and that the plaintiffs “have a legitimate claim to argue that the defendant acted with reckless disregard for the truth.”

Trump’s legal team had argued that his comments were protected under the First Amendment and represented opinions, not factual assertions. However, the judge noted that Trump’s repeated insistence that the five were guilty, even after their exoneration, could be viewed as a deliberate attempt to smear their character in the public eye, particularly given his national platform.

The plaintiffs—Kevin Richardson, Raymond Santana, Antron McCray, Yusef Salaam, and Korey Wise—have long maintained that Trump played a pivotal role in fanning the flames of racial hysteria during the original investigation. At the time, Trump took out full-page ads in four New York City newspapers calling for the reinstatement of the death penalty, writing, “Bring back the death penalty. Bring back our police!” The ad did not mention the five by name but was widely interpreted as a direct attack.

Even after the five were exonerated, Trump refused to apologize, stating in a 2016 CNN interview, “They admitted their guilt. Some of the detectives involved still think they’re guilty.” That statement, among others, is central to the defamation suit, which claims it caused ongoing reputational damage and emotional distress, particularly as some of the plaintiffs tried to rebuild their lives in the public eye.

The lawsuit also notes that Trump’s refusal to retract his statements has hindered the men’s ability to pursue personal and professional opportunities. The $40 million figure represents claims for emotional damages, lost income, and punitive damages.

Dr. Yusef Salaam, now a city councilman in New York and one of the plaintiffs, issued a statement following the judge’s decision: “This is about accountability. Not just for what was said in 1989, but for everything that’s been said since—everything that’s kept the lie alive.”

Trump has not yet publicly responded to the ruling, but his legal team has indicated they intend to appeal. For now, however, the case moves forward—bringing renewed national attention to one of the most infamous wrongful conviction cases in American history.