Judge rejects Donald Trump’s request to throw out columnist’s defamation claims

Former US president Donald Trump’s claims that absolute presidential immunity and free speech rights shield him from the defamation claims of a New York columnist have been rejected by a federal judge (Al Goldis/AP)

Former US president Donald Trump’s claims that absolute presidential immunity and free speech rights shield him from the defamation claims of a New York columnist have been rejected by a federal judge.

The writer, E. Jean Carroll, can continue to press claims that Mr Trump owes her at least $10m (€9.2m) in damages for comments he made before and after she won a $5m (€4.6m) sexual abuse and defamation verdict against him last month, Judge Lewis A. Kaplan said in a written opinion.