Why Are the Central Park Five Suing Donald Trump
The Central Park Five, now known as the Exonerated Five, are suing Donald Trump over false statements he made during a presidential debate on September 10, 2024. Trump claimed that the five men – Yusef Salaam, Antron McCray, Kevin Richardson, Raymond Santana, and Korey Wise – had pleaded guilty to raping and assaulting a jogger in Central Park in 1989. However, this is not true, and the Exonerated Five were actually wrongfully convicted and later exonerated in 2002 when DNA evidence pointed to another perpetrator ¹.
The lawsuit, filed in Pennsylvania, seeks compensatory and punitive damages for the harm caused by Trump’s statements. The Exonerated Five’s attorney, Shanin Specter, stated that the goal is to hold Trump accountable for damaging their reputations and to punish him for making false statements. Specter also expressed doubts about Trump issuing an apology, saying it would be “helpful” but unlikely ¹.
It’s worth noting that Trump has a history of involvement in this case. In 1989, he took out a full-page newspaper ad calling for the reinstatement of the death penalty, which many interpreted as targeting the Central Park Five. This lawsuit is the latest development in a long and complex saga that highlights the importance of truth and accountability in high-profile cases ¹.
