By Aaron Miller-
A Manhattan judge has given the stamp of approval for a defamation lawsuit filed by a former “Apprentice” contestant who has accused Trump of sexual assault.
The American president has a mountain of burdens associated with the impeachment hearings to deal with, without the added headache of a defamation claim. The seemingly impenetrable Donald Trump already has an appeal against his alleged former lover, Stormy Daniels, to fend off, one he shouldn’t have too much difficulty doing.
This fresh claim of defamation by a former contestant, Summer Zervos(pictured) claiming to have been sexually assaulted in a hotel room is discomforting and dispiriting for an embattled world leader who has been forced to devote a lot of his emotional and financial resources to fighting court battles.
All of which have the imperative requirement of registering a victory if his hallowed position as commander in chief is to be preserved.
Trump’s legal team had argued that a stay for this latest defamation case is necessary “given the novel and important Constitutional issues involved,” the “special considerations due” their previous requests to dismiss the case, and to prevent “irreparable harm.”
However, on Monday, New York state Supreme Court Justice Jennifer Schecter disagreed and rejected the request, paving the way for the progress of the case.
SEXUAL ASSAULT
The former contestant, Summer Zervos, has accused Trump of sexually assaulting her in 2007. According to Zervos, trump kissed her twice on the lips during a lunch meeting in his New York City office, and on a separate occasion in Beverly Hills, he again kissed her aggressively and touched her breast.
Zervos sued Trump in January 2017, alleging defamation by the U.S president who called her a liar in 2016 in the wake of her public statement in October 2016 about the alleged assaults.
MOTION
After the suit was filed, Trump’s lawyers filed a motion to dismiss the case. They argued the President has immunity from such lawsuits in state courts and that the case would conflict with Trump’s official duties. They also said that Trump’s frequent denials of accusations made by Zervos and others were protected political speech as statements of opinion.
The fact the plaintiff sought legal counsel in 2011 and spoke about this to others including a news organisation years before the events of 2016 at issue in this case strongly supports the inferences that her core narrative is true,” the filing from Zervos’ lawyer Mariann Wang claims. The filing goes further to cite emails and calendar entries to back up the claim.
SINCERITY
Wang says Zervos allegation bears all the indications of sincerity because the former contestant reported Trump’s alleged sexual assaults to family members and close friends immediately after they occurred.
He said Zervos reported them again over the years and considered taking legal action years before. She also “reached out to multiple lawyers back in 2011, including to Gloria Allred, whose records reflect that contact,” .
Wang says Trump’s calendar shows him flying from Las Vegas to Los Angeles with his bodyguard Keith Schiller and staying at the Beverly Hills Hotel in Los Angeles on December 21, 2007 , the same night Zervos says she met him there.
Earlier this month, Trump and the Trump Organisation released phone records for a three-month period in 2007 and 2008 that show several calls between Trump and Zervos.
Zervos’ attorney Mariann Wang said the records showed that Zervos and Trump “were exactly where she said they were exactly when she said they were there.” Last month, the Trump Organisation made available Trump’s itineraries for the alleged days in question.
President Trump strongly denies the allegations.