TMZ.com
Raymond Santana — one of the wrongfully convicted Central Park Five — is celebrating after a federal judge shut down President Donald Trump’s attempt to toss out the defamation lawsuit they filed against him.
TMZ caught up with Raymond in Harlem, NYC this week — and he made it clear Trump’s been the main thorn in their side since 1989, when Trump ran full-page newspaper ads calling for their execution … so the judge’s dismissal only proves their point of why they’re suing in the first place.
Catch the clip — Raymond makes it clear Trump’s shown zero remorse over the years, even doubling down on their supposed guilt as recently as the 2024 presidential debate with Kamala Harris.
The Central Park Five were accused of beating and raping a female jogger in New York in 1989. All five, who were teenagers at the time, said they confessed under duress of police questioning … and they later recanted their confessions. They were convicted in jury trials, though they never pled guilty. In 2002, their convictions were vacated after another person confessed to the crime.
In the 2024 presidential debate, Trump said the men had pled guilty, and said they had killed a person, justifying his call for their executions. No one died in the 1989 attack.
Raymond’s super confident the court isn’t buying Trump’s BS — and he’s also sure they’ve got a solid case. He’s ready to face their accuser and says they deserve nothing less.
ABC
Raymond, along with Yusef Salaam, Kevin Richardson, Antron Brown, and Korey Wise — now known as the “Exonerated Five” — are suing Trump for defamation and intentional infliction of emotional distress. They’re seeking both compensatory and punitive damage.
But the main thing Raymond’s looking to get out of all this? He doesn’t miss a beat — watch the video.
