A jury of six men and three women unanimously found Donald Trump liable for sexually abusing and defaming former Elle magazine columnist E. Jean Carroll and awarded her $5 million in damages.
E. Jean Carroll’s Defamation and Battery Lawsuit Against Trump Begins in Manhattan
The trial of former Elle Magazine advice columnist E. Jean Carroll’s defamation and battery lawsuit against Donald Trump began today with jury selection, nearly 30 years after the former president allegedly raped her in a midtown Manhattan department store dressing room.
Timeline: E. Jean Carroll v. Donald Trump and the Defamation Legal Battle
The legal battle between E. Jean Carroll and former President Donald Trump has been ongoing since 2019, when Carroll sued Trump for defamation due to statements he made about her while publicly denouncing her sexual assault allegations against him.
Biden Justice Department Says It Plans to Defend Trump in Sexual Assault Libel Suit
Trump is being sued by former Elle columnist E. Jean Carroll for denying that he raped her in a department store changing room in the 1990s. The Biden administration’s decision to continue supporting this case does not bode well for Carroll. Federal officials are typically given broad protections from civil lawsuits.
Federal Judge Denies Trump’s Request for DOJ to Intervene in Defamation Suit
The judge rejected the argument that the president was acting in his official capacity when he denied E. Jean Carroll's rape allegations. Had the Department of Justice taken over the President's defense, it would likely have spelled the end of the case.
E. Jean Carroll’s Lawyers Push Back on DOJ’s Efforts to Intervene in Trump Suit
“There is not a single person in the United States—not the President and not anyone else—whose job description includes slandering women they sexually assaulted,” Roberta Kaplan wrote in response to the Department of Justice’s motion. “That should not be a controversial proposition. Remarkably, however, the Justice Department seeks to prove it wrong.”
DOJ Looks to Take Over Trump’s Defense in E. Jean Carroll Defamation Lawsuit
The substitution would not only help Trump financially–his defense, including any settlement or damages payout, would be funded using taxpayer money–but would also likely spell the end of the lawsuit. Federal officials are typically given broad protections from lawsuits.
Judge Says Trump Can’t Dismiss E. Jean Carroll’s Defamation Suit
In her ruling, Justice Doris Ling-Cohan said that the president failed to submit any evidence in support of his request to dismiss Carroll's defamation lawsuit, writing “There is not even a tweet, much less an affidavit by defendant Trump in support of his motion."