Marc Kasowitz, President Trump's attorney is seeking to have the defamation lawsuit filed by Summer Zervos dismissed. Trump's attorney made an argument that the lawsuit would hamper the president's ability to do his job. Zervos' attorneys argued that the president is not above the law. The judge did not make an immediate decision and will take both arguments under advisement.
Zervos, a former contestant on Trump's reality show "The Apprentice," is one of at least nineteen women who accuse the President of Sexual Harassment or sexual assault. The President denies all the women's accusation, threatening his accusers with lawsuits and calling them all liars, prompting Zervos to file a defamation claim.
Attorney says a lawsuit would hamper Trump's ability to do his job
Kasowitz made two arguments to have the lawsuits dismissed. One is that the New York State Supreme Court in Manhattan has no jurisdiction over the president while he is still in office. The other argument is that the lawsuit would hamper the president's ability to do his job. Attorneys for Zervos argued that they would take his deposition "down at Mar-a-Lago." Gloria Allred, one of Zervos' attorneys added, in a CNN interview, that they would accommodate the president by taking his deposition in between his rounds of golf.
Zervos maintains that during a meeting at the Beverly Hills Hotel Trump grabbed her, kissed her, and placed his hand on her breast against her will.
Her lawsuit goes on to state that it is the president who is lying. Trump has stated that Zervos told a "phony" story to get attention.
Women express similar experiences
Each of the nineteen women expresses similar experiences. Some of the accusations date back to the late 1980's. Including one made by his ex-wife Ivana Trump in 1989.
During their divorce, Ivana claimed under oath that Trump raped her. He denied the claims and Ivana later claimed that she did not mean rape in the legal sense. Her account is detailed in a now out of print book about Trump titled "The Lost Tycoon" by Harry Hart III.
Another accuser Jessica Leeds described sitting next to him on a flight.
About one hour into the flight Leeds stated that he grabbed her breasts and attempted to put his hand up her skirt against her will. Leeds explained in a CNN interview that she was just there and convenient. Again the Trump playbook appears to be dismiss everything and just keep on moving forward.
