- Donald Trump and the justice department are asking the supreme court to toss an $83m defamation verdict won by writer E Jean Carroll after she accused him of sexual assault, saying he cannot be sued for comments he made while he was president.
- Federal attorneys wrote, Absent this Court’s intervention, the sitting President is facing nearly a hundred million dollars of personal liability for conduct that was well within the scope of his federal office.
- Trump’s lawyers argued that an appeals court “engaged in procedural contortions” to avoid addressing Trump’s claims that presidential immunity protects him from the $83m award.
Donald Trump is appealing an $83.3 million defamation verdict awarded to E. Jean Carroll, claiming that presidential immunity shields him from liability for comments made during his presidency. The Justice Department supports this appeal, invoking the Westfall Act, which protects government employees from lawsuits for actions taken in their official capacity.
In their argument, Trump's lawyers stated that the second US circuit court of appeals in Manhattan failed to adequately address his claims of immunity, labeling the damages as grossly excessive. They emphasized that this case is unprecedented, marking the first time a court has imposed damages on a president for conduct performed while in office.
A Manhattan jury awarded Carroll $83 million in damages in January 2024, following a previous ruling in 2023 that granted her $5 million after finding Trump liable for sexual abuse and defamation related to a department store incident. Trump's legal team argues that absent intervention from the court, he faces nearly $100 million in personal liability for actions taken while serving as president.
The Supreme Court previously declined to hear Trump's appeal regarding another verdict related to sexual abuse and defamation, further complicating his legal battles.
“Federal attorneys warned that without Supreme Court intervention, Trump faces nearly $100 million in personal liability for actions taken while in office. Trump's lawyers contend that the appeals court 'engaged in procedural contortions' to sidestep his claims of presidential immunity regarding the $83M award.”
The Guardian
