US Justice
Defamation lawsuit: Justice Department changes view on Donald Trump’s immunity
Ex-President Donald Trump at a campaign event in Las Vegas. photo
© John Locher/AP/dpa
Ex-President Donald Trump has already been fined millions in civil proceedings over the sexual abuse of US author E. Jean Carroll. Now he could face further trouble in the case.
New legal defeat for the former US President Donald Trump: In the wake of a sexual abuse defamation lawsuit in New York, the US Department of Justice has changed an earlier assessment. The department has now concluded it will no longer certify the Republican as immune from allegedly defamatory statements about US author E. Jean Carroll during his tenure.
There is no evidence that Trump was sufficiently driven by an intent to “serve the United States government” in denying Carroll’s sexual abuse and making other statements about the woman, the ministry said in a letter. Carroll accuses Trump of assaulting and raping her in a New York department store in 1996. The 77-year-old rejects the allegations – even during his time in the White House.
compensation in the millions
However, in a civil trial in May, a jury found it proven that Trump assaulted and sexually abused Carroll. The jury did not see the allegation of rape confirmed. Shortly after Trump’s conviction for millions of dollars in damages, Carroll announced that she would be taking the ex-president back to court – this time for defamation. She cited his statements after the verdict as the reason. Trump filed a so-called counterclaim for defamation.
The Justice Department’s move now means Trump can also be prosecuted under civil law for statements he made while in office. So far, the lawsuits have revolved around statements after his deselection. The Justice Department now cited, among other things, that Trump later repeated statements he made as President in a similar form. Trump denied the incident and insulted Carroll on a CNN program shortly after the sentencing. Trump wants to run again in the 2024 presidential election.