Former President Donald Trump is suing his accuser E Jean Carroll for defamation after a civil jury found that the former President did not rape her at Bergdorf Goodman, a New York department store, in the 1990s.
Trump’s legal team filed the counterclaim on Tuesday evening in a Manhattan federal court, seeking a retraction of the allegations as well as compensatory and punitive damages.
The new lawsuit appertains statements made by Carroll after the jury’s decision. Despite the court clearing Trump of rape, she insisted that it happened, telling CNN: “Oh yes he did, oh yes he did.”
The court filing states, “[Donald Trump] has been the subject of significant harm to his reputation, which, in turn, has yielded an inordinate amount of damages sustained as a result.”
The former President is currently appealing last month’s court decision, which found him “liable” for sexual assault rather than “guilty.” The court demanded that he pay Carroll $5 million in compensation.
Trump’s lawsuit is the latest in an ongoing legal battle between the two. After the initial court verdict, Carroll quickly filed further legal proceedings, demanding another $10 million for defamation. The trial is set to take place in January 2024.