Donald Trump has filed a defamation lawsuit against E. Jean Carroll, the former magazine columnist who accused him of sexual abuse. The lawsuit comes after a jury found that Trump had sexually abused Carroll and defamed her. In response, Trump has filed a counter claim, alleging that Carroll defamed him in an appearance on CNN following the jury’s verdict.
Carroll had been asked about the jury’s ruling, which found that Trump had sexually abused her but did not rape her as she had alleged. In her response, Carroll stated, “Oh, yes he did.” In light of Trump’s counter claim, Carroll’s lawyer, Roberta Kaplan, issued a statement arguing that Trump’s filing is an attempt to delay accountability for the jury’s findings.
This latest legal maneuver is part of a long-standing legal battle between Trump and Carroll. Carroll initially sued Trump for defamation in 2019 after he denied her allegation that he had raped her in the mid-1990s. Trump claimed not to know Carroll and said that she was not his type. Carroll then sued Trump again last year under a New York law that created a one-year window for civil lawsuits for survivors of sexual assault, regardless of when the assault occurred.
The 2019 defamation lawsuit is scheduled to go to trial next year, but there are still unresolved legal issues. Carroll is seeking over $10 million in damages in that case, in part because Trump continued to make defamatory statements about her on social media and during a CNN town hall event after the jury’s verdict.
This latest round of legal actions highlights the ongoing dispute between Trump and Carroll. The lawsuit raises questions about accountability and the consequences for public figures accused of misconduct. As the legal battle continues, both parties will have the opportunity to present their arguments and evidence before a final resolution is reached.
Original Story at www.cnn.com – 2023-06-28 11:26:00