Trump Gets Win In Rape Accuser's Defamation Lawsuit As Court Rules He Qualified As Federal Employee

A Federal Appeals Court on Tuesday set aside a lower court judge’s ruling against Donald Trump in a defamation suit brought by writer Jean Carroll following the former president’s denial that he raped her.

What Happened: The 2nd U.S. Circuit Court Of Appeals in Manhattan voted 2-1 against the lower court judge’s ruling that Trump was not protected by a federal law that offers immunity to federal employees from liabilities over incidents related to their work, Reuters reported.

Carroll filed the defamation lawsuit in 2019 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: Trump's $3M 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 “plausibly paint a picture of a man pursuing a personal vendetta against an accuser.”

Politico reported that the Department of Justice in the past repeated its 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.

The libel suit’s outcome, according to the report, may be secondary to Trump, as Carroll’s lawyer announced last week that she plans to file a new lawsuit in November, directly accusing Trump of rape and seeking damages for it.

Her legal team suggested that it would be taking advantage of a new New York state law that gives adult accusers a one-year window to bring civil claims over alleged sexual misconduct irrespective of how long ago it happened.

Read Next: Trump's Legal Woes Deepen As Woman Who Accused Him Of Rape To Sue For Sexual Battery