Donald Trump’s Legal Battle Against E. Jean Carroll

On Tuesday, the opening arguments for a civil lawsuit against former President Donald Trump began in Manhattan. The plaintiff, E. Jean Carroll, a 79-year-old former columnist, accused Trump of raping her in a Bergdorf Goodman department store changing room in the mid-1990s. While Trump denies the allegations, his lawyer claimed that Carroll was motivated by money and fame.

Trump’s lawyer, Joe Tacopina, stated that there was no evidence of the assault, and that Carroll was abusing the system for money, political reasons, and status. Tacopina also claimed that Trump’s previous comments about the case were not defamatory, but rather his personal opinion.

The trial, which is not criminal in nature, is part of a barrage of legal woes in an ongoing witch hunt that threatens to derail Trump’s potential 2024 run for a second presidential term. Nonetheless, the trial is likely to last one to two weeks, unlike Trump’s other trials, which appear to be stretched out for as long as possible.

Carroll’s Accusation Against Trump

Carroll, who was in court Tuesday, claims that the attack happened after Trump asked her for advice on buying a women’s lingerie gift. Carroll’s lawyer Shawn Crowley told the Manhattan court that the moment they were inside the dressing room, everything changed, and Trump was almost twice her size. She accused Trump of forcibly raping and groping her, and her suit seeks unspecified damages for “significant pain and suffering, lasting psychological and pecuniary harms, loss of dignity and self-esteem, and invasion of her privacy.”

During a previous appearance on Anderson Cooper’s talk show, Carroll made comments that raised doubts about her credibility. She seemed to have a unique interpretation of the word “rape” that deviated from common understanding. In her comments, she stated “I think most people think of rape as being sexy,” then added, “think about the fantasies.” These remarks have led many to question the validity of her accusation against Donald Trump.

Defamation Against Carroll

Carroll initially sued Trump for defamation in 2019 but was unable to include the rape claim because the statute of limitations for the alleged offense had expired. However, a new law took effect in November 2020 in New York that gave victims of sexual assault a one-year window to sue their alleged abusers decades after attacks may have occurred. Lawyers for Carroll filed a new suit that accused Trump of battery and defamation. The defamation charge came after Trump denied the alleged rape and referred to Carroll as a “complete con job.”

Trump holds similar opinions about the case today, calling the case a “fraudulent & false story–Witch Hunt” as well as a “SCAM,” as he took to Truth Social this morning to comment, saying:

“The E. Jean Carroll case, Ms. Bergdorf Goodman, is a made up SCAM. Her lawyer is a political operative, financed by a big political donor that they said didn’t exist, only to get caught lying about that. Just look at her CNN interview before & after the commercial break – Like a different person. She said there was a dress, using the ol’ Monica Lewinsky “stuff”, then she didn’t want to produce it. The dress should be allowed to be part of the case. This is a fraudulent & false story–Witch Hunt!”

They got caught lying! The Miss Bergdorf Goodman case is financed by a big political donor that they tried to hide. Does anybody believe that I would take a then almost 60 year old woman that I didn’t know, from the front door of a very crowded department store, (with me being very well known, to put it mildly!), into a tiny dressing room, and …. her. She didn’t scream? There are no witnesses? Nobody saw this? She never made a police complaint? If I was seen there with a woman-BIG PRESS. SCAM!”

Witch Hunt Against Trump Continues

The lawsuit is part of a series of legal problems facing Trump, including his recent arraignment on criminal charges related to a hush-money payment made to a porn star just before the 2016 election. He has pleaded not guilty to 34 counts. Moreover, Trump is also being investigated over his efforts to overturn his 2020 election loss in Georgia, his alleged mishandling of classified documents taken from the White House, and his involvement in the storming of the US Capitol on January 6, 2021.

The Jury

The jury, made up of six men and three women, will decide whether Trump is guilty and how much in damages to award Carroll. No criminal prosecution can stem from the Carroll case, but if Trump loses, it will be the first time he has ever been held legally liable for an allegation of sexual assault. Trump has provided sworn testimony in the case but is not expected to take the witness stand during the trial as Carroll’s lawyers have said they do not intend to call him. The judge has promised the jury anonymity.