Shutterstock
In defense of President Trump, the U.S. Justice Department is seeking to take over a defamation case. The suit claims that Trump raped E. Jean Carroll, an advice columnist, two decades ago.
Carroll is seeking potentially damaging evidence from the president. This is happening just weeks before the upcoming presidential election. This includes a DNA sample to compare to a dress she wore at the time of the alleged attack. Not only that, but she is seeking a deposition.
This move by the DOJ could leave taxpayers on the hook. Including any damages awarded during the case.
The Justice Department said in a court filing on Tuesday that Trump was acting “within the scope” of his office when he claimed Carroll lied about what happened. The case was also moved away from a New York state court. This is where a judge refused to stall the suit. Now, it will go to a Manhattan federal court instead.
“Today’s actions demonstrate that Trump will do everything possible, including using the full powers of the federal government, to block discovery from going forward in my case before the upcoming election to try to prevent a jury from ever deciding which one of us is lying,” said Carroll in a statement on Tuesday.
It is unclear why the Justice Department is now suddenly getting involved since the case was first filed in November 2019.
Related: Trump Says ‘She’s Not My Type’ After Being Accused of Rape
The Trump campaign has reportedly been facing money problems thanks to legal fees. According to The New York Times, Trump’s lawyer, Marc Kasowitz, has been paid more than $820,000 from campaign funds defending suits against the president.
Roberta Kaplan, Carroll’s lawyer, said in a statement that she plans to fight the filing by the Justice Department. She says the government’s claim that he was acting within his official capacity as president “when he lied about sexually assaulting our client, explaining that she ‘wasn’t his type,’” is “shocking.”
The Justice Department’s move occurred on the deadline for Trump to appeal a ruling requiring him to provide evidence, said Kaplan.
“Trump’s effort to wield the power of the U.S. government to evade responsibility for his private misconduct is without precedent, and shows even more starkly how far he is willing to go to prevent the truth from coming out,” said Kaplan.
As the clock ticks, control of the population’s views against both presidential parties is becoming more and more crucial as the election approaches.
Related: Biden Says Trump Will ‘Try to Steal This Election’
