Photo: Craig Ruttle/AP/Shutterstock; Chip Somodevilla/Getty
In May, 77-year-old Trump wasfound liable for sexually abusing and defaming Carroll, a formerElleadvice columnist, following a Manhattan trial. In n a unanimous decision, the jury ordered that Trump pay Carroll $2 million for sexual abuse and nearly $3 million for defamation. One day later, Trump again publicly criticized Carroll — this time on primetime television.
During CNN’s controversial town hall, Trump called Carroll a “whack job,” again claiming “I never met this woman. I never saw this woman,” and calling her claims “fake” and “made up." (The two have been photographed together, though Trump said that was an incidental moment.)
In her suit, the writer alleged: “Roughly 27 years ago, playful banter at the luxury department store Bergdorf Goodman on Fifth Avenue in New York City took a dark turn when Defendant Donald J. Trump seized Plaintiff E. Jean Carroll, forced her up against a dressing room wall, pinned her in place with his shoulder, and raped her.”
The complaint further alleged that Carroll “remained silent for over two decades” for fear of being buried in “threats and lawsuits” and damage to her reputation and livelihood.
It also claimed that the incident “severely injured Carroll, causing significant pain and suffering, lasting psychological harms, loss of dignity, and invasion of her privacy” and sought “redress for her injuries and to demonstrate that even a man as powerful as Trump can be held accountable under the law.”
Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.
The charges against the former president include 31 counts of willful retention of national defense information (a violation of theEspionage Act); one count of conspiracy to obstruct justice; one count of withholding a document or record; one count of corruptly concealing a document or record; one count of concealing a document in a federal investigation; one count of scheme to conceal; and one count of false statements and representations.
If you or someone you know has been sexually assaulted, please contact the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673) or go torainn.org.
source: people.com
