Former President Donald Trump claimed that a defamation lawsuit brought against him by former advice columnist E. Jean Carroll is a "complete con job" in a statement released on his Truth Social account Wednesday.
The statement from Trump followed news Wednesday that a federal judge had rejected Trump's attempt to pause his deposition scheduled for next week, according to a report from CNN.
The 2019 lawsuit from Carroll alleges that Trump raped her in a department store in New York City in the mid-1990s, which Trump has repeatedly denied. The former president said in his statement Wednesday that Carroll's allegations are "a hoax and a lie, just like all the other hoaxes that have been played on me for the past seven years."
CNN reports that Trump is scheduled to be deposed October 19, and Carroll will face her deposition this Friday.
Judge Lewis Kaplan wrote in his decision on Wednesday that while the court awaits a ruling from a federal appeals court to determine whether Trump was a federal employee when he first denied Carroll's claims, it will cause Trump "no undue burden" to complete his depositions now, reported CNN.
Kaplan also stated the Carroll would face "substantial injury" if the depositions were delayed any further, noting that the case has taken place over 20 months so far, reported CNN.
Trump said in his statement that Carroll's lawyer for the case, Roberta Kaplan, was a "political operative ... who goes around telling people that the way to beat Trump is to sue him all over the place."
"In the meantime, and for the record, E. Jean Carroll is not telling the truth, is a woman who I had nothing to do with, didn't know, and would have no interest in knowing her if I ever had the chance," Trump added.
Trump's legal team, as well as the Department of Justice (DOJ), have argued that the former president was acting within his official capacity when he told reporters that he denies any allegations from Carroll, leading to questions on whether Trump will stay as the defendant in the civil suit or be replaced by the DOJ.
According to a report from the Associated Press, the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled last month in a split decision that Trump was a federal employee when he rejected Carroll's claims. The appeals court then asked another court in Washington, D.C., to decide whether Trump's statements "occurred during the scope of his employment" to determine if he should be represented by the DOJ.
Kaplan, Carroll's lawyer, told Newsweek in a statement Thursday that the team was "pleased" with the judge's decision to move forward with the depositions, adding that they were looking forward to filing under New York's Adult Survivors Act and proceeding to trial. The attorney also wrote that Trump's statement on Wednesday "does not merit a response."
Update 10/13/22, 4:30 p.m. ET: This story has been updated with comments from Carroll's legal team.
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Kaitlin Lewis is a Newsweek reporter on the Night Team based in Boston, Massachusetts. Her focus is reporting on national ... Read more
