Crime

Judge Clears Way for Defamation Suit Against Trump

JUN 14 2023·Updated AUG 27

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The Facts

US District Judge Lewis Kaplan has ruled that E. Jean Carroll may pursue a $10M defamation case against Donald Trump, having won a $5M jury verdict for sexual abuse and defamation against the former president last month.
Reuters
The lawsuit accuses Trump of "doubling down" on his remarks against Carroll during a CNN town hall one day after the May ruling, which concluded there was not enough evidence to prove claims of rape but awarded her $2M for sexual abuse and $3M for defamation.
Al Jazeera
May's jury verdict was separate from Carroll's initial 2019 lawsuit, which specifically accused Trump of defamation when she first aired her allegations. This latest lawsuit revolves around Trump calling the May verdict "fake news" and Carroll a "whack job."
The Hill
Both cases arose after Carroll alleged that Trump had raped her in the dressing room of a department store in the 1990s. While Judge Kaplan's decision does not ensure compensation, Carroll's attorney Roberta Kaplan — unrelated to Judge Kaplan — stated they would "look forward" to proceeding with the claims.
UPI
A trial for the lawsuit has been consistently delayed as courts determine whether Trump can be sued for personal comments made while president, with Judge Kaplan calling the Justice Department to decide by July 13th.
Politico

Sources Split

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The Spin

Anti-Trump narrative

Many have become desensitized to the constant developments concerning Donald Trump, who continues to attempt to gaslight his way out of serving prison time. Trump continues to face legal repercussions against Carroll simply because he is unable to keep quiet. His legal woes continue to pile up by the day.

Jezebel

Pro-Trump narrative

Carroll appears to be trying to continue to monetize her claims against the former president. Other Democratic figures, including Pres. Biden, have faced similar accusations and deserves at least the same amount of scrutiny as Trump.

The Western Journal