Trump Claims Rape Accuser Can’t Sue Him in New York
President Donald Trump’s lawyers asked a New York judge on Friday to dismiss a columnist’s lawsuit accusing him of defamation after he denied raping her in a department store dressing room in 1996.
The president’s lawyers claim the suit cannot proceed because Trump’s statements were made in Washington, D.C.
Carroll’s lawyer, Roberta Kaplan, said Trump is misstating the law to avoid handing over documents.
“When E. Jean’s case was filed, Donald Trump maintained a home in New York, was registered to vote in New York, paid taxes in New York, and had been sued in New York on numerous occasions — including since 2016 — without any objection,” Kaplan said. “Tellingly, as his papers make clear, what this motion is really about is a transparent effort to avoid discovery at all costs in a case involving a sexual assault.”
In a New York magazine article last June, Carroll accused Trump of raping her in a Manhattan department store dressing room after they met by chance. Trump said Carroll was “totally lying,” adding that she is “not my type.” As a response, Carroll sued, claiming his remarks harmed readership of her Elle magazine advice column, and in turn her career.
