Trump's legal immunity revoked, enabling lawsuit proceedings against him by the US.
In a significant development, the US Department of Justice has announced that it no longer believes that former President Donald Trump's denial of raping E. Jean Carroll in a Manhattan department store in the mid-1990s was within the scope of his office as president. This change in position removes a possible impediment to the scheduled January 2024 trial in Manhattan federal court.
The department's change of heart means it will not try to substitute itself as the defendant in the lawsuit, effectively ending the case because the government cannot be sued for defamation. Roberta Kaplan, Ms Carroll's lawyer, has stated that this move removes a potential obstacle in the ongoing legal proceedings.
However, it's important to note that this development does not affect the ongoing defamation counterclaim against Trump. Earlier yesterday, Ms Carroll asked a judge to dismiss Trump's countersuit that she defamed him by repeating her claim that he raped her. In their filing, Ms Carroll's lawyers said she did not say "oh yes he did" with actual malice, which would mean she knew or had reckless disregard for whether the statement was false.
The former President has sued Ms Carroll on 27 June, objecting to a CNN interview following the verdict where she said "oh yes he did, oh yes he did" when asked about the jury finding that he did not commit rape. In response, the department's letter states that evidence of Trump's state of mind does not establish that he made the defamatory statements with a purpose to serve the United States government.
Steven Cheung, a spokesperson for Trump, has accused the Justice Department under President Joe Biden of politically weaponizing the justice system against Trump. He has dismissed the department's move as a "partisan sham".
It's worth mentioning that this change in the Department of Justice's position does not indicate a shift in the U.S. government's stance on immunity in relation to the defamation lawsuit filed by E. Jean Carroll. The search results mostly discuss Trump administration actions related to federal grantmaking, sovereign immunity claims in other lawsuits, and executive orders about political control over federal funding, but do not mention E. Jean Carroll's defamation suit or changes in immunity positions tied to it.
This latest development in the E. Jean Carroll vs Donald Trump defamation lawsuit is a significant step towards resolving the case. As the trial dates approach, more updates are expected to emerge.
Politics and general news: The change in the Department of Justice's position regarding Donald Trump's defamation lawsuit against E. Jean Carroll could indicate a significant development in the ongoing legal proceedings, potentially paving the way for the scheduled January 2024 trial in Manhattan federal court.
War-and-conflicts, policy-and-legislation: The recent decision by the Department of Justice not to intervene in the Trump vs Carroll defamation lawsuit has raised questions about political interference in the justice system, with Trump's spokesperson accusing the department under President Joe Biden of politically weaponizing the justice system against Trump.
