The DOJ explained in a Tuesday filing that cites the Westfall Act that the federal government should be substituted as the defendant in the lawsuit. The DOJ had previously certified that Trump was acting "within the scope of employment" when he made statements that Carroll claimed were defamatory.
President Donald J. Trump has asked a federal appeals court to pause enforcement of an $83.3 million defamation judgment as he prepares a potential appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court.
PULSE POINTS WHAT HAPPENED: President Donald J. Trump has requested that the Second Circuit Court of Appeals stay enforcement of an $83.3 million defamation judgment awarded to writer E. Jean Carroll. The request, filed on Tuesday, seeks to delay payment while Trump prepares a potential appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court. DETAIL: Trump’s legal team argues that the case raises significant constitutional questions, including unresolved issues surrounding presidential immunity and the Westfall Act, which governs when the federal government can be substituted as a defendant for officials’ actions. The Second Circuit recently rejected Trump’s bid for a rehearing, leaving the Supreme Court as his next legal option. Carroll has not opposed…Open