Trump sues Carroll for defamation after sexual assault lawsuit

On June 27, former US President Donald Trump filed a counter-claim, accusing journalist E. Jean Carroll of damaging his reputation by publicly accusing him of raping her. Previously, on May 9, the jury ruled that Mr. Trump's actions in the 1996 incident were only "sexual abuse", not "rape".

The court ordered Mr. Trump to pay $5 million in compensation to Ms. Carrol in this civil case.

The latest lawsuit filed by Mr. Trump on June 27 is a counterclaim to Ms. Carroll’s 2019 lawsuit. The former President’s lawsuit is expected to go to trial in January 2024.

Although the New York writer won the first trial, Mr. Trump asserted that the verdict was a victory for him because the jury concluded that the allegation could not be considered rape.

Ms. Carroll's attorney, Roberta Kaplan, has not commented on the new lawsuit.

Previously, the former US President had filed a counterclaim against Carroll in the defamation lawsuit, but the court rejected this request from Mr. Trump's lawyer because the request was made too late.

After Ms. Carroll won the May 9 trial, by law, if she amended her defamation complaint, the counterclaim would be reopened. Mr. Trump seized the opportunity to file a lawsuit against the writer.

E. Jean Carroll appears in federal court in New York during a hearing on May 9. (Photo: Bloomberg)

E. Jean Carroll filed a lawsuit in Manhattan court last year, accusing former US President Donald Trump of sexually assaulting her in a dressing room at a Manhattan fashion store in 1996. In 2019, Ms. Carroll also sued Mr. Trump for defamation for declaring her a "liar" when she went public with information about the sexual assault.

Mr. Trump repeatedly stated that he "didn't know who Carroll was" and that she was "not my type." He also repeatedly asserted that Ms. Carroll's story was "fake" and "made up" by a "crazy person."

A jury on May 9 concluded that Ms. Carroll had proven sexual abuse by overwhelming evidence, ordering Mr. Trump to pay $2 million in damages. The jury also ruled that the former U.S. president must pay nearly $3 million in damages related to the defamation claim.

On May 22, Ms. Carroll filed a motion in Manhattan court to amend her defamation lawsuit against Mr. Trump. She amended her complaint, changing all the words “rape” to “sexual abuse.” She also added “defamatory” comments Mr. Trump made about her in a May 10 CNN interview, where the former president called her a “liar” after the trial and accused her of fabricating the assault.

Because this is a civil case, Mr. Trump does not face criminal consequences such as the risk of jail time. He also does not have to pay compensation if the case is appealed.

This is the first time the billionaire has faced legal consequences for sexual assault allegations. He has faced dozens of sex scandals over the years but has always steadfastly denied them.

Phuong Thao (Source: Bloomberg)

Useful
Emotion
Creative
Unique

Source