The Justice Department on Tuesday asked to take over the defense of President Trump in a defamation lawsuit filed by author E. Jean Carroll, who accused Trump of raping her in the 1990s. In a highly unusual legal move, the DOJ argues that while the alleged sexual assault occurred before Trump took office, he was president when the defamation suit was filed, and could be defended by government lawyers, paid by taxpayers. Carroll sued Trump last year after he denied her allegations, accused her of lying and said he didn’t know Caroll, despite a photo showing the two of them together at a party in the 1980s.
DOJ Seeks to Defend Trump from Rape Accuser’s Defamation Lawsuit
HeadlineSep 09, 2020