E. Jean Carroll and Donald Trump, who have each sued one another for defamation.Photo: Michael M. Santiago/Getty, Ron Sachs - Pool/Getty
Months afterDonald Trumpwasfound liable for sexually abusing and defamingformerElleadvice columnistE. Jean Carroll, the former president is now suing her for defamation.
In May, a Manhattan jury ultimately concluded that Carroll was not raped, but sexually abused: the second-highest offense that they could choose. Because it was a civil trial, their verdict did not determine guilt and did not lead to criminal charges. The jury did, however, have the power to order that Trump pay Carroll $2 million for sexual abuse and $3 million for defamation.
E. Jean Carroll arriving at her civil trial against Donald Trump.Stephanie Keith/Bloomberg via Getty
Now, Trump is suing Carroll, arguing in a new lawsuit that, despite the verdict, she continued to claim the former president raped her and “made these statements knowing each of them were false or with reckless disregard for their truth or falsity.”
The lawsuit claims that Carroll, in an interview given after the verdict, “disregarded the jury’s finding that Counterclaimant did not rape her, and replied: ‘Oh yes he did, oh yes he did,'“ABC Newsreports.
Trump’s suit comes on the heels of a judge ruling that Carroll could amend her earlier defamation suit after the former president publicly her during a primetime television appearance on CNN — just one day after he was ordered to pay her $3 million for defamation.
During acontroversial town hall eventon the network, Trump called Carroll a “whack job,” again claiming, “I never met this woman. I never saw this woman,” and calling her claims “fake” and “made up.” (The two have been photographed together, though Trump said that was an incidental moment.)
In June, a judge ruled Carroll couldamend her earlier defamation suitto now seek $10 million from Trump.
The charges against the former president include 31 counts of willful retention of national defense information (a violation of theEspionage Act); one count of conspiracy to obstruct justice; one count of withholding a document or record; one count of corruptly concealing a document or record; one count of concealing a document in a federal investigation; one count of scheme to conceal; and one count of false statements and representations.
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If you or someone you know has been sexually assaulted, please contact the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673) or go torainn.org.
source: people.com
