Donald Trump files defamation suit against author E Jean Carroll

Former US President Donald Trump has filed a defamation lawsuit against the author E Jean Carroll, claiming she fraudulently accused him of rape after a jury determined he sexually abused her, BBC has reported.

The civil jury in New York determined last month that he sexually abused and defamed the columnist, but did not violate her.

Trump's claim, which was filed on Tuesday, pertains to remarks Carroll made on CNN the day following the verdict.

When asked if Trump was liable for rape, she responded, "Oh yes, he did."

The claim is seeking a retraction of that comment as well as unspecified compensation and punitive damages.

A lawyer for Jean Carroll said the filing was "nothing more than his latest effort to delay accountability" for the verdict on 9 May.

Carroll has filed two separate lawsuits against the former president.

One went to trial last month, which is when the jury found Trump liable for sexually abusing the magazine columnist in a department store in the 1990s and defaming her when she went public with the claim in 2019.

She was awarded almost $5m (£3.9m) in damages. Trump is appealing against that verdict and has asked for a new trial.

Trump's latest filing is a counterclaim in that lawsuit and suggests the multi-front legal fight will continue for some time.

The filing alleges Carroll made "false statements with actual malice and ill will" when she was asked in an interview on CNN about the jury finding that Trump was not liable for rape.