Former President Donald Trump is seeking to delay his upcoming civil trial for the alleged rape of writer E. Jean Carroll in the 1990s because his lawyers recently discovered a billionaire Democratic donor has paid some of Carroll’s legal fees.
The delay bid centers on a 2022 deposition Carroll gave in a parallel case in which she denied any third party was paying her legal fees in her litigation against Trump.
On April 10, Trump’s attorneys were notified by Carroll’s lawyer that she “now recalls that at some point her counsel secured additional funding from a nonprofit organization to offset certain expenses and legal fees,” according to a letter sent Thursday to Judge Lewis Kaplan.
The nonprofit was later identified as one controlled by Reid Hoffman, a deep-pocketed Democratic backer who founded LinkedIn.
Trump is seeking a one-month trial delay to reopen the discovery process related to Carroll’s legal funding.
The request came days after Trump lawyer Joe Tacopina sought another one-month trial delay, arguing for a “cooling off” period after Trump’s indictment on criminal charges late last month. Tacopina requested the delay in a letter to Judge Kaplan, who will oversee the trial in Manhattan federal court.
The trial is scheduled to begin April 25.
Former President Donald Trump is seeking to delay his upcoming civil trial on allegations he raped writer E. Jean Carroll in the 1990s. AP“Holding the trial of this case a mere three weeks after these historic events will guarantee that many, if not most, prospective jurors will have the criminal allegations top of mind when judging President Trump’s defense against Ms. Carroll’s allegations,” Tacopina wrote.
“President Trump can only receive a fair trial in a calmer media environment than the one created by the New York County district attorney,” he added.
Trump was indicted by a Manhattan grand jury in March on 34 felony counts of falsifying business records related to hush-money payments ahead of the 2016 election and pleaded not guilty at an April 4 arraignment in Manhattan criminal court.
In response to the request, Carroll’s lawyer urged Kaplan not to grant the delay, arguing the claims were meritless and will provide Trump more opportunity to avoid the Manhattan federal trial.
In her suit, Carroll claims Trump raped her in a Bergdorf Goodman dressing room in the 1990s and then made defamatory statements that attacked her for making the allegation. AP
Trump was indicted by a Manhattan grand jury in March on 34 felony counts of falsifying business records related to hush-money payments ahead of the 2016 election. Getty Images“Trump’s mounting legal difficulties have given rise to substantial press coverage and will continue to do so; he is not only a former President, but also a declared candidate in the next presidential election,” attorney Roberta Kaplan wrote.
“As a result, each passing week will offer Trump yet another straw to grasp at in his campaign to avoid standing trial for sexually assaulting Carroll,” she added.
In her suit, Carroll claims Trump raped her in a Bergdorf Goodman dressing room in the 1990s and then made defamatory statements that attacked her for making the allegation.
Kaplan has yet to rule on the requests by Trump.
