A US judge has refused Donald Trump's bid to dismiss writer E. Jean Carroll's original lawsuit accusing the former US president of defaming her in June 2019 by denying he raped her in the mid-1990s.
US District Judge Lewis Kaplan in Manhattan rejected Trump's arguments that he was entitled to absolute presidential immunity, many of his statements were opinion, and Carroll "consented" to his statements by waiting decades to go public, leaving him "no choice" but to defend himself.
Carroll, a former Elle magazine columnist, is seeking at least $10 million in damages. A trial is scheduled for Jan. 15, 2024. Trump is also suing Carroll for allegedly defaming him.