### George Stephanopoulos Accuses Trump Family of Unprecedented Corruption, Despite Recent Legal Settlement

On Sunday, "This Week with George Stephanopoulos" began with a powerful accusation of corruption directed at Donald Trump and his family. This comes merely six months after ABC settled a defamation lawsuit with Trump with a $16 million payment, following erroneous comments by the anchor about E. Jean Carroll.

Stephanopoulos opened the show by detailing what he described as intricate connections between Trump's presidential actions and significant financial gains through fundraisers and pardons. "The scale is staggering," Stephanopoulos stated. "Donald Trump and his family are potentially making hundreds of millions, if not billions, of dollars by leveraging the presidency to benefit contributors and investors."

Among the revelations, Stephanopoulos highlighted recent pardons granted to individuals involved in tax fraud, including one case where a person received a pardon shortly after attending an extravagant fundraiser for Trump, which charged $1 million per attendee. Additionally, Trump's business endeavors were scrutinized, particularly a fundraising effort by the Trump media and technology group that amassed $2.5 billion from 50 undisclosed institutional investors.

The segment also touched on recent developments involving the cryptocurrency firm Binance. The SEC dropped a lawsuit against Binance just days after the company listed a currency created by World Liberty Financial, a Trump family venture. Stephanopoulos emphasized the severe implications of these actions, citing David Frum's report in The Atlantic which likened these activities to corrupt practices more commonly associated with post-Soviet republics and post-colonial African nations.

Stephanopoulos concluded his segment by recalling the recently settled lawsuit that had cast a shadow over both Trump and ABC. The case stemmed from incorrect assertions made during a March 2024 interview in which the anchor erroneously stated that Trump had been found liable for rape in the civil case brought by E. Jean Carroll. While Trump was found liable for sexual abuse and defamation, the jury did not find him liable for rape under New York's legal definitions. Reaching a $16 million settlement with Trump was deemed a significant legal victory for the former president.

By examining these detailed accusations, Stephanopoulos sought to underscore what he described as an unparalleled level of corruption within the Trump administration. As he framed it, this week's revelations offer critical insights into the financial maneuvers allegedly benefiting the Trump family at the expense of ethical governance.