Thursday, a writer sued Donald Trump for defamation for the second time. She said that when he denied having raped her 27 years ago, he was lying.
In a complaint filed in Manhattan federal court, former Elle magazine columnist E. Jean Carroll also said that Trump hit her during a meeting at the Manhattan Bergdorf Goodman store.
Carroll, who is 78 years old, sued for battery under New York’s Adult Survivors Act. This new law gives sexual assault victims one year to sue their alleged abusers, even if the abuse happened a long time ago and the statute of limitations has passed. The first day people could sue was Thursday, which was Thanksgiving.
Trump, who is 76, has denied that he raped Carroll and didn’t know her at the time. He also said that Carroll was “not my type.” The first time he said no, was in June 2019, and she sued him for libel five months later.
He denied it again in a post on Truth Social on October 12 in which he called Carroll’s claim a “hoax” and “lie,” which led to the new defamation claim. Both sides are waiting for decisions from the appeals court about Trump’s claim that he was legally protected from Carroll’s first lawsuit because he spoke as president.
Carroll’s first complaint would be dismissed if the courts ruled that the United States government, which enjoys immunity from being sued for defamation due to its status as a sovereign entity, could be substituted for Trump as the defendant. Because Trump is now a private citizen after leaving the White House in January 2021, it is unlikely that this will impact her second case.
Carroll is asking for unspecified compensation for his losses. She claimed that Trump was the one who caused her long-term psychological damage and rendered her incapable of maintaining a meaningful relationship as evidence to support her claim that he had battered her.
The first case will go to trial on February 6, 2023, in Manhattan before U.S. District Judge Lewis Kaplan. However, the problem may be postponed because of the appeals process. Carroll’s attorney, Roberta Kaplan, argued on Tuesday during a hearing that her client’s complaints share significant similarities and so should be tried on April 10.
Only the initial case will go to trial on May 8, according to Trump’s attorney Alina Habba’s request. She also explained to the judge that a longer wait was warranted because Trump did not have a lawyer representing him in the second act.
The judge’s response was as follows: “Your client in the present action, Ms Habba, has known this was coming for months, and he would be well-advised to consider who is representing him in it.” “Your client in the present action, Ms Habba, has known this was coming for months.” Judge Kaplan has indicated that he may decide on scheduling both lawsuits early next week.
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