Support NeoGAF

[DOWN]

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news...it-summer-zervos-apprentice-sexual-harassment

Donald Trump’s lawyers are claiming he is immune while president from defamation claims brought by a former contestant on The Apprentice who accused him of sexual harassment.

The president’s private attorneys made the case in a legal filing in New York this week intended to halt the litigation against Trump by by Summer Zervos, who sued Trump days before his 20 January inauguration. Zervos was one of more than a dozen women who came forward before the November election to accuse Trump of sexual misconduct following the release of a decade-old Access Hollywood recording in which Trump bragged about groping and kissing women without their consent.

In her lawsuit, Zervos said Trump had defamed her while denying the allegations during his campaign. Trump tweeted at the time that Zervos’ charges were “100% fabricated and made-up” and “nonsense”, and also dubbed her and other women who made similar claims “liars”.

Trump’s lawyers cited a 1997 supreme court ruling to say the lawsuit should be barred as it held the potential to distract the president from performing his public duties. The ruling in question, Clinton v Jones, pertained to sexual harassment litigation against then-president Bill Clinton by former Arkansas state employee Paula Jones.

The supreme court ultimately ruled in that case that presidents are not immune from civil litigation while in office. But the justices advised that immunity questions “should be decided at the earliest possible stage of the litigation”, due to the importance of and burdens imposed by presidential duties.

There were as many as 75 private lawsuits against Trump when he assumed the office of the presidency, according to an investigation in USA Today. A decision in Trump’s favor would thus have far-reaching consequences.

Zervos, who filed her lawsuit in New York, said Trump aggressively kissed and groped her against her will in his Beverly Hills hotel room in 2007. Her attorney, Gloria Allred, said in a statement Tuesday that Trump is not immune from the defamation lawsuit.

Searched but didn't see a thread

 

[Leona Lewis]

The supreme court ultimately ruled in that case that presidents are not immune from civil litigation while in office.

Seems pretty definitive to me.

 

[Drkirby]

Trump's Lawyers know they are wrong, they don't care. It's a stall tactic to try and settle.

 

[Brakke]

Well Trump clearly isn't exerting himself as President anyway, so there shouldn't be any grounds at all to dismiss this suit. He can spare a golf weekend or two to focus on the case.

 

[x24hrs2livex]

Open up that check book Donnie.

 

[Shard]

Yea, the Paula Jones lawsuit answered this question pretty definitively back in the day.

 

[MIMIC]

Trump's lawyers cited a 1997 supreme court ruling to say the lawsuit should be barred as it held the potential to distract the president from performing his public duties. The ruling in question, Clinton v Jones, pertained to sexual harassment litigation against then-president Bill Clinton by former Arkansas state employee Paula Jones.

The case held that the President has no immunity from private suits in federal courts based on conduct that allegedly occurred before taking office. I have no idea what I says about "distractions" but it definitely wasn't the takeaway from this case (so, them citing it as a reason for immunity is dumb)

 

[Geist-]

Seems pretty definitive to me.

Fake Laws!

 

[Kifimbo]

The 'Queen can do no wrong' argument, heh ? Good luck with that.

 

[Horns]

Trump will be the most sued president ever.

 

[Hazmat]

Does this woman have any idea how many holes of golf he'll miss out on while being deposed?

 

[poppedcollar69]

But the justices advised that immunity questions “should be decided at the earliest possible stage of the litigation”, due to the importance of and burdens imposed by presidential duties.

Lol. Yes, the presidential duties that Trump is so indefatigably performing

 

[RustyNails]

Lol this will get shot down. It's the Paula Jones precedent.

 

[Monocle]

Other things that hold the potential to distract the president from performing his public duties:

golf

Florida

Twitter

journalism

yucky feelings

 

[Poodlestrike]

Yeah, this seems pretty open-and-shut. Presidents have no immunity from cases brought regarding conduct that took place before they became president. So, Obama couldn't sue him for libel about the wiretapping thing, but this should absolutely go through.

 

[Ninja Scooter]

Donald Trump’s lawyers are claiming he is immune while president from defamation claims brought by a former contestant on The Apprentice who accused him of sexual harassment.

 

[JadedWriter]

Fake Laws!

The laws are real but the judges are fake.

 

[Lord_Byron28]

There were as many as 75 private lawsuits against Trump when he assumed the office of the presidency, according to an investigation in USA Today.

Wow, I'd be curious if USA Today will slowly reveal more of these cases privately filed against Trump. Could be just another drop in the bucket for this administration.

 

[Breads]

so-called legal precedent

 

[Rest]

I'm pretty sure that's not what equal under the law means.

 

[CaviarMeths]

"If the president does it, then it's not illegal."

To add to the pile of Nixon parallels.

 

[norm9]

truly teflon don

 

[Byakuya769]

sums it up well.