Trump sits for deposition in rape accuser’s defamation case

Former President Trump on Wednesday sat for his scheduled deposition in a defamation case brought by E. Jean Carroll, who accused Trump of raping her in the 1990s.

Trump’s attorneys repeatedly attempted to delay the case, but a spokesperson for Carroll’s attorneys said the former president ultimately appeared as scheduled.

“We’re pleased that on behalf of our client, E. Jean Carroll, we were able to take Donald Trump’s deposition today. We are not able to comment further,” the spokesperson said.

Carroll is suing Trump for allegedly defaming her by casting doubt on her credibility and demeaning her appearance, including during a 2019 interview with The Hill in which Trump said Carroll was “totally lying” and “not my type.”

Trump’s attorneys have argued the former president’s statements are covered by a federal law that gives broad legal immunity to government employees.

A federal appeals court handed Trump a partial victory on that argument, but the case’s fate could rest on an impending local court decision in Washington, D.C., which was asked to determine whether Trump was acting “outside the scope” of his presidency under D.C. employment law while making the statements.

Carroll’s attorneys first revealed Trump’s scheduled deposition in a Sept. 30 filing made as part of that legal battle.

A federal judge last week denied the former president’s motion to pause the proceedings made weeks before his deposition.

“As we have said all along, my client was pleased to set the record straight today,” Trump attorney Alina Habba said in a statement to The Hill.

“This case is nothing more than a political ploy like many others in the long list of witch hunts against Donald Trump.”

Carroll has also said she will file an additional suit against Trump next month for the alleged sexual assault itself once a new New York law takes effect.

The law will provide individuals with a one-year window to bring forward sexual offense complaints previously barred by the state’s statute of limitations.