Justice Dept. Says Trump's Denial of Rape Accusation Was an Official Act

[brooklynite]

Source: New York Times

The Justice Department said on Monday that President Trump should not be sued personally for having denied a rape allegation because he made the statement while acting in his official capacity as president.

Lawyers for the government made the argument as they defended Attorney General William P. Barr’s decision to intervene in a defamation lawsuit filed in a New York court against President Trump by E. Jean Carroll, the writer.

Ms. Carroll has said that Mr. Trump raped her in a department store two decades ago and then falsely denied the attack, branding her a liar and harming her reputation.

But Justice Department lawyers say that even though the allegation concerns an incident that occurred decades before Mr. Trump became president, his denial was still an official act because he “addressed matters relating to his fitness for office as part of an official White House response to press inquiries.”


Read more: https://www.nytimes.com/2020/10/19/nyregion/jean-carroll-trump-rape-lawsuit.html?referringSource=articleShare

[machoneman]

1. Huh? Geez, how far will Barr bend over to allow his master to service him?

This claim will fade to zero when President Biden takes over. Barr's move to do this now, before any court has ruled, elminates the double jeapordy rule issue. Caroll can re-file and get justice under our new president.

[Laelth]

2. That's an egregious error of law, and Barr knows it.

How on Earth could one deny rape charges in one’s official capacity (as if he had discretion to rape or not rape pursuant to his official job duties)?

No, a charge of rape must be answered in one’s individual capacity (unless rape is in one’s job description, and he was NOT RAPING on behalf of the American people in his official capacity as President).

Bill Barr needs disbarment in the worst way.

-Laelth

[James48]

10. Isn't it crystal clear by now?

Trump thinks that raping the American people IS the job of the President.


That’s the problem.

[robbob]

24. He's now officially

“The Rapist in Chief”

[alwaysinasnit]

16. Perhaps tRump considers such conduct as "Droit du seigneur."

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Droit_du_seigneur

Droit du seigneur[a] ('lord's right'), also known as jus primae noctis ('right of the first night'), and prima nocta, was a supposed legal right in medieval Europe, allowing feudal lords to have sexual relations with subordinate women, in particular, on their wedding nights.

[Laelth]

19. Quite.

That’s SEX, in an official capacity, but it’s an obviously-carved-out legal exception to the crime of rape. Even at that time, one could not rape in one’s official capacity. It’s not rape if the law permits it.

-Laelth

[Fortinbras Armstrong]

22. Droit du seigneur is given as the reason for the Scots war against Edward I in the movie Braveheart

Of course, the supposed historian who wrote the script should have known that was a lie. It is just one of many lies in that film.

[Fortinbras Armstrong]

23. Droit du seigneur is given as the reason for the Scots war against Edward I in the movie Braveheart

Of course, the supposed historian who wrote the script should have known that was a lie. It is just one of many lies in that film.

[Bernardo de La Paz]

3. Denying rape accusations is not part of the job description of Presidents. . . . nt

[UpInArms]

4. That is quite the contortion

[Grasswire2]

5. So North Korea

Or something

Tinpot Banana Republican.

[angrychair]

6. Uhmmmm...what????

huh?....what?...uhhhh....what?

I admit I'm not a lawyer but this seems like a significant stretch.

[Gore1FL]

7. I had no idea that rape denial was a official presidential duty. nt

[mpcamb]

18. It invites the question, would a cold blooded murder be, too?

Maybe that was settled with trump's "5th Avenue" notion years ago.. for Barr, at least.

[keithbvadu2]

8. So that would apply to Bill Clinton's statements about Monica?

So that would apply to Bill Clinton's statements about Monica?

[BigmanPigman]

9. Good point!

[greenjar_01]

11. What a disgrace

These pigs have made the United States Department of Justice into a clown show and two-bit strip mall lawyer for a despicable rapist. Horrific.

[DallasNE]

12. This Is All About November 3rd And Everybody Knows It

This seems like something from the Nixon playbook where he proclaimed "when the President does it, it is legal". That didn't go well for Nixon. And this shouldn't go well for Trump.

[mahatmakanejeeves]

13. From the thread at Popehat:

Last edited Tue Oct 20, 2020, 06:48 AM - Edit history (1)

Breaking NYT: In an unusual move, the Justice Department said that Trump should not be sued personally for having denied a rape allegation because he made the statement while acting in his official capacity as president.

Link to tweet

WOW:
This is not who we need to be a role model. This justice department ruling reinforces that.

#ChildrenListen

Link to tweet

[BootinUp]

14. Oh fuck that.

What is this the 18th century?

[proud patriot]

15. What a load of Crap

[Sherman A1]

17. Horse Hockey

What a steaming pile of 💩.

[dchill]

20. Hogwash comes in really big tubs, doesn't it?

[malthaussen]

21. OFFS. n/t

[EndlessWire]

25. Just an embarrassing decision by Barr.

Protecting his rapacious client, tRump. He has no shame whatsoever.