The Justice Department has reversed course and said it no longer believes that Donald Trump should be entitled to immunity for his response to E. Jean Carroll’s accusation of sexual assault, allowing the civil lawsuit to move forward to trial in January.
The change in position eliminates one legal hurdle surrounding Carroll’s 2019 defamation lawsuit against Trump for statements he made while president, denying her allegation of rape decades earlier, that he didn’t know her, and that she wasn’t his “type.”.
Initially, the Justice Department under both the Trump and Biden administrations said Trump was acting within the scope of his duties when responding to reporters’ questions in 2019 about Carroll’s allegations.
That essentially meant that the Justice Department would be substituted as a defendant and the case would likely be dismissed.
Trump, who is appealing the decision, does not face any jail time as a result of the civil verdict.
“And a jury has now found that Mr. Trump sexually assaulted Ms. Carroll long before he became President.
Carroll’s lawyer, Roberta Kaplan, said they are “grateful that the Department of Justice has reconsidered its position.”. »
