Judge tosses Trump’s defamation suit against writer who won sexual abuse lawsuit against him

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Former President Donald Trump’s defamation countersuit against the writer who previously won a sexual abuse lawsuit against him has been dismissed by a federal judge. The judge ruled that Trump cannot claim defamation based on the writer’s statements that she was sexually abused and raped by him. This ruling stops, at least temporarily, Trump’s attempt to counter E. Jean Carroll’s claims. Carroll had previously won a $5 million judgment against Trump and is now pursuing her own defamation suit against him. Trump’s legal team plans to appeal the decision to dismiss his counterclaim.

Carroll’s lawyer expressed satisfaction with the ruling and is looking forward to a trial scheduled for January in her defamation suit. This lawsuit centers on remarks made by Trump denying her sexual assault allegations. Carroll accused Trump of forcibly kissing her, pulling down her tights, and raping her in a luxury department store dressing room in 1996. Trump vehemently denies all allegations and has referred to Carroll as a “nut job” who fabricated a false story for personal gain.

In the previous trial, a civil court jury found that Trump sexually abused Carroll but rejected the claim of rape, based on the specific details of how the jury perceived the act of penetration against her will. Carroll’s post-verdict statements were deemed “substantially true” by her lawyers, and the judge agreed. The judge stated that the difference between Carroll’s allegedly defamatory statements and the truth about Trump’s actions was minimal, as both acts would be considered felonious sex crimes.

It’s worth noting that Carroll publicly came forward with her allegations, which is why her name was disclosed in the news report, as per The Big Big News’s policy regarding sexual assault allegations.

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More about defamation suit

• CNN: Judge tosses Trump’s defamation suit against writer who won sexual abuse lawsuit against him
• The Big Big News: Trump’s defamation suit dismissed by federal judge
• The New York Times: E. Jean Carroll’s lawsuit against Donald Trump
• ABC News: Details of the allegations made by E. Jean Carroll against Donald Trump
• NBC News: Donald Trump’s response to E. Jean Carroll’s allegations
• Reuters: Jury decision and verdict in the sexual abuse lawsuit