Trump tried to hide behind New York’s anti-SLAPP law but was shot down by a judge in the E. Jean Carroll lawsuit.
Zoe Tillman of Buzzfeed News tweeted:
A resounding loss for Trump in his effort to invoke NY's anti-SLAPP law in E. Jean Carroll's defamation case — judge finds the law wouldn't apply to Carroll's claims and conflicts with federal court rules, and that Trump tried this all too late regardless: https://t.co/X7kTOhivGW pic.twitter.com/8d7XILoQqQ
— Zoe Tillman (@ZoeTillman) March 11, 2022
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What Are Anti-SLAPP Laws?
Anti-SLAPP laws, according to the Reporters Committee, are intended to protect people who are using their First Amendment rights from retaliation, “Anti-SLAPP laws are meant to provide a remedy to SLAPP suits. Anti-SLAPP laws are intended to prevent people from using courts, and potential threats of a lawsuit, to intimidate people who are exercising their First Amendment rights. In terms of reporting, news organizations and individual journalists can use anti-SLAPP statutes to protect themselves from the financial threat of a groundless defamation case brought by a subject of an enterprise or investigative story.”
Trump Tried To Abuse The Anti-SLAPP Law
Trump was trying to abuse the anti-SLAPP law, which wasn’t available to him because Trump moved the case to federal court to get out of E. Jean Carroll’s defamation lawsuit. Trump is doing everything imaginable to drag the lawsuit out because he clearly used his platform as president to defame Carroll, and he doesn’t want to pay for it.
Trump lost. The lawsuit is moving forward. The court still has to decide whether the government will be allowed to represent Trump, which they shouldn’t be because Trump’s comments had nothing to do with his duties as president, but on this point, E. Jean Carroll scored a comprehensive legal victory.
Jason is the managing editor. He is also a White House Press Pool and a Congressional correspondent for PoliticusUSA. Jason has a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science. His graduate work focused on public policy, with a specialization in social reform movements.
Awards and Professional Memberships
Member of the Society of Professional Journalists and The American Political Science Association
