A federal judge on Tuesday denied the Justice Department’s effort to effectively end a defamation lawsuit against President Donald Trump brought by a longtime magazine columnist who has alleged he raped her, paving the way for the case to proceed.
The department had sought to intervene in the case and substitute itself as defendant in the lawsuit filed by E. Jean Carroll, a move that likely would have curbed the proceedings, since the federal government can’t be sued for defamation.
Trump has denied Carroll’s allegations, telling reporters, “She’s not my type,” and alleging Carroll lied to boost her book sales.
