A federal Appeals Court on Tuesday set aside a lower court judge's decision on Donald Trump in a defamation suit brought by writer Jean Carroll despite the former president's denial that he raped her.
The Circuit Court Of Appeals in Manhattan voted 2 -- 1 against the lower court judge's decision that Trump was not protected by a federal law that gives immunity to federal employees from liabilities related to their work, Reuters reported.
In the year 2019, Carroll filed a defamation lawsuit after Trump issued derogatory statements in response to her allegations that the former president had raped her in the 1990s. While denying the allegations, Trump had then said, She's not my type. See also: Donald Trump's $3 M Attorney Chris Kise Sidelined From Mar-A-Lago Probe: Report
Judge Denny Chin, who dissented on Tuesday, reportedly argued that he would have allowed Carroll to pursue at least some claims, as her allegations paint a picture of a man pursuing a personal vendetta against an accuser. Politico reported that the Department of Justice repeated in the past assertion that Trump was essentially immune from suit because he was acting within the scope of his duties while answering questions about the alleged rape.
According to the report, the outcome of the libel suit may be secondary to Trump, as Carroll's lawyer announced last week that she plans to file a new lawsuit in November, accusing Trump of rape and seeking damages for it.
Her legal team suggested that they would take advantage of a new New York state law that gives adult accusers a one-year window to bring civil claims over alleged sexual misconduct, regardless of how long ago it happened.