International

US writer who accused Trump of rape sues for battery, defamation

Photo: CBS News

| By AFP |

A journalist who alleges that Donald Trump raped her in the mid-1990s filed an upgraded lawsuit on Thursday under a new law that protects victims of sexual assault decades after attacks may have occurred.

The new filing by lawyers for E. Jean Carroll came minutes after a New York state law took effect that allows victims to sue without regard to statutes of limitation.

Carroll, 78, filed a federal civil defamation suit against Trump in November 2019, and that suit is ongoing. Both Carroll and Trump filed sworn depositions before a New York judge in October.

The upgraded lawsuit by Carroll, an author and former columnist for Elle magazine, accuses Trump of battery, “when he forcibly raped and groped” her, and for defamation in a post on his Truth Social account last month where he denied the alleged rape.

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In this new suit Carroll seeks unspecified compensatory and punitive damages for psychological harm, pain and suffering, loss of dignity and damage to her reputation.

Carroll’s previous lawsuit is scheduled to head to trial at the beginning of 2023. The presiding judge may decide to include the new claims in the trial.

Carroll first made her claim of sexual assault against Trump in a 2019 book, alleging that Trump raped her in a changing room at Bergdorf Goodman, an upscale department store in New York, in late 1995 or early 1996.

But until New York’s new Adult Survivors Act took effect Thursday, Carroll could not file the battery claim because the alleged incident had occurred too long ago.

Trump has denied raping Carroll, or even knowing her, saying she was “not my type” and asserting that she was “totally lying.”

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Trump’s lawyer in the case, Alina Habba, said she respects and admires those who come forward under the new New York state law.

But “this case is unfortunately an abuse of the purpose of this Act which creates a terrible precedent running the risk of delegitimizing credibility of actual victims,” she told AFP in an email.

The new law gives sexual assault victims in New York state a one-year window to sue their alleged abusers even when the abuse occurred long ago.

In her new complaint, Carroll reiterated that she remained silent for more than 20 years out of fear of reprisals but changed her mind after the #MeToo movement in 2017 against violence toward women.

In his October 12 posting on his Truth Social account, Trump said Carroll “completely made up a story that I met her at the doors” of Bergdorf Goodman. “It is a Hoax and a lie, just like all the other Hoaxes that have been played on me.”

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Related Topics:Journalist Trump us Writer

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U.S. counterterrorism chief resigns over opposition to war in Iran

Joe Kent, director of the National Counterterrorism Center, announced Tuesday that he has resigned from his post, citing his opposition to the ongoing war in Iran.

In a post on X, Kent said he could not, “in good conscience,” support the conflict, arguing that Iran did not pose an imminent threat to the United States. He also claimed that the war was driven by pressure from Israel and its lobbying influence in Washington.

In a resignation letter addressed to Donald Trump, Kent alleged that at the start of the current administration, senior Israeli officials and influential figures in U.S. media carried out a disinformation campaign that undermined the “America First” platform and fostered pro-war sentiment aimed at triggering a conflict with Iran.

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German president warns Iran war could spread and disrupt Strait of Hormuz

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Speaking in Panama City during a joint appearance with Panamanian President José Raúl Mulino, Steinmeier said available information suggests Iran has significant capacity to disrupt maritime traffic through the key oil route.

“Iran has considerable potential to interfere with shipping through the Strait of Hormuz,” Steinmeier said through an interpreter. “We should therefore reach an end to the hostilities as soon as possible and call on all parties involved to make that happen.”

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The German leader described the possibility of the conflict spreading as “very dangerous,” saying recent developments indicate that such a scenario cannot be ruled out.

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Over the weekend, U.S. President Donald Trump urged allied nations to help ensure safe passage for ships through the Strait of Hormuz after Iran moved to block the waterway in response to U.S. strikes. However, several allies—particularly in Europe—have shown little support for the proposal.

“Some are very enthusiastic, others are not, and some are countries we have helped for many years,” Trump told reporters at the White House. “We have protected them from terrible external threats, and they’re not that enthusiastic. And the level of enthusiasm is important to me.”

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