Donald Trump and the Justice Department are asking the US Supreme Court to overturn an $83m defamation verdict awarded to writer E Jean Carroll. They contend that Trump cannot be sued for comments he made while serving as president.
This marks the second occasion Trump has requested the justices to dismiss damages awarded to Carroll by a jury. In June, the Supreme Court declined to hear his appeal of a separate $5m verdict, which found him liable for sexual abuse and defamation.
The current case focuses on comments Trump made during his first term as US president. The Justice Department aims to invoke the Westfall Act, which is designed to protect government employees from lawsuits for actions performed within the scope of their duties.
Federal attorneys stated that without the court's intervention, "the sitting President is facing nearly a hundred million dollars of personal liability for conduct that was well within the scope of his federal office." Trump's lawyers have also argued that an appeals court "engaged in procedural contortions" to avoid addressing claims of presidential immunity.
The appeal was filed electronically and is anticipated to be formally docketed with the court today, Wednesday.