NEW YORK (AP) — Questioned for a lawsuit, former President Donald Trump angrily hurled insults and threatened to sue the columnist who accused him of raping her in a division retailer within the Nineties, in accordance with excerpts of his videotaped testimony unsealed by a courtroom on Friday.
Parts of his 5 1/2-hour October deposition in a lawsuit filed by columnist E. Jean Carroll had been launched publicly after a federal decide rejected his attorneys’ request that it remained sealed.
“She mentioned that I did one thing to her that by no means befell. There was no something. I do know nothing about this nut job,” he mentioned, in accordance with the transcript.
The excerpts reveal a contentious battle between Trump and Roberta Kaplan, a lawyer for Carroll, who questioned him as Trump known as the previous longtime Elle journal columnist the perpetrator of “an entire rip-off” during which she described the rape as she “was selling a extremely crummy e book.”
“I'll sue her after that is over, and that’s the factor I actually look ahead to doing. And I’ll sue you too,” he advised Kaplan.
The discharge of excerpts from the deposition got here the identical day as Choose Lewis A. Kaplan, unrelated to the lawyer, additionally refused a request by Trump’s attorneys to toss out two lawsuits by Carroll alleging defamation and rape. An April trial is deliberate.
Trump has repeatedly mentioned the encounter with Carroll within the mid-Nineties at an upscale Manhattan division retailer by no means occurred.
In his testimony, Trump repeatedly attacked Carroll’s depiction of him as a rapist.
Trump mentioned he knew it wasn’t “politically appropriate” to say “she’s not my sort” when he responded to claims shortly after Carroll’s 2019 e book was printed. The author alleged she was attacked by Trump in a dressing room after they'd an opportunity assembly within the retailer and he or she agreed to assist him pick lingerie for a pal.
“However I’ll say it anyway,” he mentioned. “She’s accusing me of rape, a girl that I don't know who she is. It got here out of the blue. She’s accusing me of raping her, the worst factor you are able to do, the worst cost.”
Chatting with her lawyer, he added: “And you already know it’s not true too. You’re a political operative additionally. You’re a shame. However she’s accusing me and so are you of rape, and it by no means befell.”
At one level within the deposition, Trump known as Carroll “sick, mentally sick.” He mischaracterized an interview Carroll had given on CNN, falsely claiming she had talked about having fun with being sexually assaulted. “She really indicated that she liked it. Okay? She liked it till business break,” Trump mentioned. “In actual fact, I feel she mentioned it was attractive, didn’t she? She mentioned it was very attractive to be raped. Didn’t she say that?”
Kaplan, Carroll’s lawyer, then tried to elicit from Trump that he raped her consumer.
“So, sir, I simply wish to affirm: It’s your testimony that E. Jean Carroll mentioned that she liked being sexually assaulted by you?”
Trump answered: “Nicely, primarily based on her interview with Anderson Cooper, I consider that’s what befell. And we will outline that. ... I feel she mentioned that rape was attractive – which it’s not, by the way in which.”
What Carroll has mentioned in her writing, and within the interview with Cooper, is that she doesn’t like to make use of the phrase rape as a result of another folks “suppose rape is attractive.” She mentioned she most popular the time period “combat.”
At one other level within the deposition, Kaplan requested Trump if he had ever touched a girl on her breast or buttocks or some other sexual half with out her consent.
“Nicely, I'll inform you no, however you'll have some folks like your consumer that lie,” he responded.
Late Friday, Trump lawyer Alina Habba issued an announcement, saying: “Whereas it was fully pointless for the unsealing of a transcript each events beforehand agreed would stay confidential, our consumer has nothing to cover and appears ahead to resolving this meritless case.”
Roberta Kaplan declined to touch upon the discharge of the deposition excerpts.
Kaplan, the Manhattan decide, earlier Friday upheld the lawsuits alleging rape and defamation and looking for unspecified damages by Carroll, saying they might proceed to trial as a result of Trump’s challenges had been with out benefit.
“The truth that Mr. Trump denies Ms. Carroll’s allegations doesn't enter into the evaluation at this stage of the case,” the jurist wrote. “What, if something, really occurred should await additional proceedings if the grievance withstands the current movement.”
Habba mentioned in an announcement: “Whereas we're disillusioned with the Court docket’s resolution, we intend to instantly attraction the order and proceed to advocate for our consumer’s constitutionally protected rights.”
In his ruling, the decide mentioned the Grownup Survivor’s Act was much like the Little one Victims Act, one other New York state regulation that quickly allowed victims of sexual assaults after they had been youngsters to sue their abusers years later.
Carroll initially sued Trump for defamation after he mocked her claims he sexually assaulted her. Carroll sued Trump with the rape declare in November, when the Grownup Survivor’s Act took impact.
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