Former Advice Columnist E. Jean Carroll Says She Plans to Sue Trump Under New Sexual Assault Law
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Getty Images (2) From left: E. Jean Carroll and Donald Trump
Former Elle advice columnist and TV host E. Jean Carroll says she plans to sue Donald Trump under a new New York law that allows victims of sexual assault to file claims years after the incident occurred.
In a court filing this week as part of her ongoing defamation lawsuit against Trump, 78-year-old Carroll's attorneys said she plans to sue the now 76-year-old former president under the New York Adult Survivors Act, which creates a one-year lookback window for survivors of sexual abuse to file claims otherwise barred by the statute of limitations.
CNN reports that Carroll's attorneys said their client plans to allege battery and intentional infliction of emotional distress in the suit, which they said will be filed in November when the new law takes effect.
What's more, CNN reports that the legal team plans to depose the former president — which they attempted to do earlier but ultimately determined to be unnecessary.
Carroll's ongoing suit against the former president stems from her claim that he sexually assaulted her in a New York City dressing room in the mid-1990s. Trump has adamantly denied Carroll's claims, along with dozens of similar claims of sexual misconduct from other women.
After Carroll went public with her account of assault in 2019, Trump said in an interview: "No. 1: She's not my type" and, further, that he had "never met this person in my life." (The two have been photographed together, though Trump said that was an incidental moment.)
Trump also tweeted at the time that Carroll was "totally lying" about the rape, claiming she made up the allegation in order to help sell her memoir.
Following those comments, Carroll sued Trump for defamation, arguing that his claims caused her "emotional pain and suffering" and damaged "her reputation, honor, and dignity" and thus her career.
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Carroll's attorneys had earlier sought a DNA sample to compare with a dress Carroll says she wore during the alleged rape.
The case has dragged on in the courts, and both the Trump- and Biden-backed Justice Departments have sought to defend the former president, as the comments he made about Carroll took place during the scope of the presidency.
"This case does not concern whether Mr. Trump's response was appropriate," an earlier filing made by the Department of Justice — and filed after Trump was out of office — stated. "Nor does it turn on the truthfulness of Ms. Carroll's allegations."
Trump is currently embroiled in a number of lawsuits and investigations, both stemming from his time in office as well as in his personal and business dealings.
