On Wednesday a New York federal judge tossed out ABC News and George Stephanopoulos’s attempt to dodge former President Donald Trump’s defamation lawsuit. Trump has accused Stephanopoulos of defaming his name during a March interview by claiming that the ex-president was “liable for rape” in a lawsuit filed by advice columnist E. Jean Carroll.

The decision now paves the way for Trump to take his fight against the network and Stephanopoulos to the next round. The dispute centers around a controversial segment in which Stephanopoulos, while chatting with lawmaker Nancy Mace (R-SC.), claimed that Trump had been found responsible for rape. The remark tied back to the explosive case brought forward by E. Jean Carroll, who publicly accused Trump of sexual assault, sparking a firestorm of media coverage and an expensive lawsuit.

U.S. District Judge Cecilia Altonaga, in a detailed ruling, rejected the motion to dismiss, stating that there were sufficient grounds for the case to proceed. “The Court has carefully considered the record, the parties’ written submissions, and applicable law. For the following reasons, the Motion is denied,” Altonaga, an appointee of former Republican President George W. Bush, wrote.

“A reasonable jury could interpret Stephanopoulos’s statements as defamatory,” wrote Judge Altonaga. “Stephanopoulos’s exchange with Mace lasted about ten minutes, during which Stephanopoulos stated ten times that a jury — or juries — had found Plaintiff liable for rape.”

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A Manhattan federal jury determined last year that former President Trump sexually abused Carroll, finding him liable for battery. However, the jury did not conclude that Carroll had proven her claim that Trump raped her. “A big win today in the high Florida court against ABC fake news, and Liddle’ George Slopadopolus,” Trump wrote Wednesday morning on Truth Social. “A powerful case! Before you know it, the fake news media will be forced by the courts to start telling the truth. This is a great day for our country. MAGA 2024!”

The lawsuit centers on Stephanopoulos’s March interview with Rep. Mace during the discussion about Mace’s endorsement of Trump. Stephanopoulos repeatedly claimed, a total of ten times, that a jury had found Trump liable for rape.

“It was not a criminal court,” Mace told Stephanopoulos. “This was a civil court. And by the way, she [E. Jean Carroll] joked about the judgment and what she was going to do with all that money and I find that offensive.” Mace continued, “But as a rape victim who’s been shamed for years now because of her rape, you’re trying to shame me again by asking me this political question.”

“New York has opted to separate the crime of rape. Stephanopoulos’s statements dealt not with the public’s usage of that term, but the jury’s consideration of it during a formal legal proceeding,” Judge Altonaga wrote.

As he ramps up his 2024 presidential campaign, Trump can now proceed with his legal case.

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