A Greek American woman on Tuesday filed a lawsuit against President Elect Donald Trump for defamation, after the latter claimed that her previous sexual assault allegations were fabricated.
Summer Zervos was one of more than 10 women who accused Mr. Trump of inappropriate sexual contact during his election campaign, a New York Times report says. The lawsuit was announced by Ms. Zervos’ lawyer at a news conference in Los Angeles
In October, Ms. Zervos claimed that Mr. Trump had kissed and groped her without her consent in his office in New York and at a hotel in Los Angeles, allegations that Mr. Trump had denied and filed a lawsuit against Ms. Zervos and other women for lying.
“But it was Donald Trump who was lying when he falsely denied his predatory misconduct with Summer Zervos, and derided her for perpetrating a ‘hoax’ and making up a ‘phony’ story to get attention,” the lawsuit says, according to the New York Times. “Donald Trump lied again, and again, and again, and again. In doing so, he used his national and international bully pulpit to make false factual statements to denigrate and verbally attack Ms. Zervos and the other women.”
“Mr. Trump knew that his false, disparaging statements would be heard and read by people around the world, and that these women, including Summer Zervos, would be subjected to threats of violence, economic harm, and reputational damage.,” the lawsuit continues.
Ms. Allred compared the case to the one brought by Paula Jones, a former Arkansas state employee, against President Bill Clinton in 1994. At the time, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that a sitting president could be sued for actions that were said to have happened before his taking office. Ms. Allred noted that if the defamation case moves forward, Mr. Trump could be deposed or asked to testify, and that if he were to lie under oath, it would be grounds for Congress to impeach him, as happened with Mr. Clinton, the New York Times continued.
The lawsuit further states that during the campaign, Mr. Trump described Ms. Zervos’ allegations, along with those of others, as ‘made up events THAT NEVER HAPPENED;’ ‘100% fabricated and made-up charges;’ ‘totally false;’ ‘totally phoney [sic] stories, 100% made up by women (many already proven false).’ ‘made up stories and lies;’ ‘[t]otally made up nonsense.’” He also threatened to sue his accusers.
Ms. Allred said that if Mr. Trump admits that he lied when he said Ms. Zervos fabricated her allegation, Ms. Zervos would drop her case.
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