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."

Trump Asks Judge to Dismiss E. Jean Carroll’s Defamation Lawsuit

The lawyers argued in a motion on Friday that the suit cannot go forward because the statements were made in Washington and the case was filed in New York.

E. Jean Carroll Files a Defamation Suit Against Trump for Saying She Lied About Sexual Assault

“Decades ago, the now president of the United States raped me," said Carroll in a statement. "While I can no longer hold Donald Trump accountable for assaulting me more than 20 years ago, I can hold him accountable for lying about it and I fully intend to do so."