Slamming the $83.3 million verdict in Donald Trump’s defamation trial, former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani offered mangled defence of the former US president.
A federal jury awarded E. Jean Carroll, a writer and journalist who accused Trump of raping her in the mid-1990s, huge amount on Friday. Last year, the former president was found guilty by a jury of assaulting her sexually in the middle of the 1990s, but not of rape. Carroll received a $5 million award in that case. She filed a lawsuit after Trump publicly attacked her on social media and accused her of lying numerous times.
A jury on Friday determined that Trump had to provide Carroll $7.3 million in compensatory damages for emotional distress, $11 million in "reputational repair," and $65 million in punitive damages for those conduct.
After the judgement, Giuliani said on Newsmax: “The judge is a disgrace to the greatest court in America. He's telling a lawyer what questions to ask. That’s totally ridiculous.” "He won’t let him [Trump] defend himself," Giuliani stated, referring to Judge Lewis Kaplan.
{{/usCountry}}After the judgement, Giuliani said on Newsmax: “The judge is a disgrace to the greatest court in America. He's telling a lawyer what questions to ask. That’s totally ridiculous.” "He won’t let him [Trump] defend himself," Giuliani stated, referring to Judge Lewis Kaplan.
{{/usCountry}}Trump’s former lawyer then recalled last year’s sexual assault trial.
“First of all, he was found not guilty– or not liable for rape,” he said. “It was sexual assault, not rape. And second, you can be– you can be guilty of rape, and still, a person can be a whacko. That was a defamation. You’re still allowed to defend yourself against defamation.”
Also Read: E Jean Carroll wins $83 million in defamation case against Donald Trump
Guillani found liable for defamation
Last year in December, Giuliani himself was found liable for defamation.
He was found guilty of defaming a mother-daughter poll worker duo after he made unfounded accusations that they were involved in the Georgia election rigging. He was liable for damages totaling $148 million.
Also Read: E Jean Carroll vs Donald Trump: 5 key takeaways from the defamation trial
Carroll scores another win against Donald Trump
This is the second time that Carroll has prevailed in court against Trump, who is being sued by numerous women who allege he harassed or sexually abused them. Another jury awarded her $5m in assault and battery case, based on the same incident that she described in her 2019 book, What Do We Need Men For? A Modest Proposal.
Carroll’s book, which was excerpted in New York magazine, described how Trump allegedly attacked her in a changing room of a high-end Manhattan department store, around early 1996.
After the Friday verdict, Trump condemned it as “absolutely ridiculous” and vowed to appeal.
“I fully disagree with both verdicts, and will be appealing this whole Biden Directed Witch Hunt focused on me and the Republican Party,” Trump wrote on his social media platform Truth Social.
“Our Legal System is out of control, and being used as a Political Weapon. They have taken away all First Amendment Rights. THIS IS NOT AMERICA!”