The U.S. Justice Department announced it will ask the Supreme Court to allow it to intervene in President Donald Trump’s appeal of an $83.3 million defamation judgment awarded to writer E. Jean Carroll. The department intends to bring the case before the high court, according to statements reported by Bloomberg and the Washington Examiner.
The judgment stems from a defamation lawsuit filed by Carroll, a former Elle magazine columnist, against Trump. A jury returned the $83.3 million verdict, which Trump is now appealing. The Justice Department’s planned intervention would insert the federal government into the private litigation at the Supreme Court level.
The department has not yet filed its request with the Court, but its stated intention marks a significant procedural step. Intervention by the government in a private defamation case is unusual and would require the justices’ approval. The specific legal arguments the department intends to raise have not been detailed in the initial reports.
Bloomberg, which first reported the development, noted that the Justice Department will seek the Supreme Court’s permission to participate in the appeal. The Washington Examiner separately confirmed the department’s plan to intervene and bring the case to the nation’s highest court.
The case originated from Carroll’s allegations that Trump defamed her after she publicly accused him of sexual assault. Trump has denied the allegations and is challenging the verdict on multiple grounds. The Justice Department’s involvement could introduce questions about the scope of presidential immunity or the application of federal law to statements made by a sitting president.
No further details about the timing of the Supreme Court request or the department’s legal strategy were immediately available. The White House has not issued a separate statement on the matter.
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