Elite Law Firm Faces Backlash After Joining Trump’s Fight Against E. Jean Carroll Verdict

A powerful Wall Street rule patient pinch adjacent ties to President Donald Trump has joined his effort to seduce nan U.S. Supreme Court to propulsion retired nan $83.3 cardinal defamation verdict won by writer E. Jean Carroll.

The move marks a reversal for Sullivan & Cromwell, which had antecedently indicated it would not grip nan high-profile lawsuit aft taking Trump connected arsenic a customer earlier this year, according to The Wall Street Journal.

The firm's engagement has sparked crisp disapproval from immoderate lawyers.

Attorney George Conway wrote connected X that he was stunned to spot nan patient representing Trump successful nan case.

"The once-venerated white-shoe New York rule patient of @sullcrom is representing an adjudicated rapist successful a lawsuit brought by nan victim," Conway wrote. "I ne'er thought I would unrecorded to spot thing for illustration this."

New York lawyer Catherine Cullen besides criticized nan decision, penning connected Bluesky that Sullivan & Cromwell had thrown distant its credibility and reputation.

According to The Wall Street Journal, nan firm's co-chair, Robert Giuffra, initially told partners it would not participate successful nan Carroll litigation. The newspaper reported that nan determination changed aft an involution by Trump's longtime advisor and lawyer Boris Epshteyn.

The improvement comes arsenic Trump and nan Justice Department inquire nan Supreme Court to erase nan $83.3 cardinal judgment, arguing nan president cannot beryllium held personally liable for statements he made while serving successful nan White House.

Federal lawyers opportunity nan lawsuit should autumn nether nan Westfall Act, which protects authorities labor from individual lawsuits complete actions taken wrong nan scope of their charismatic duties.

"Absent this Court's intervention, nan sitting President is facing astir a 100 cardinal dollars of individual liability for behaviour that was good wrong nan scope of his national office," authorities lawyers wrote.

Trump's ineligible squad besides argues nan appeals tribunal wrongly rejected his declare that statesmanlike immunity shields him from nan damages because nan statements were made successful 2019 while he was president.

"This is nan first lawsuit successful our nation's history successful which a tribunal has imposed damages liability connected a president for his behaviour successful office," Trump's lawyers wrote, calling nan grant "grossly excessive."

The Supreme Court declined successful June to perceive Trump's entreaty of a abstracted $5 cardinal verdict successful Carroll's favor, which recovered him liable for intersexual maltreatment and defamation.

Carroll has accused Trump of sexually assaulting her successful a dressing room astatine Bergdorf Goodman successful nan mid-1990s earlier defaming her successful 2019 by denying nan allegation and questioning her motives aft she went nationalist successful a memoir. Trump has many times denied assaulting Carroll aliases wrongdoing.

A Manhattan assemblage awarded Carroll $83.3 cardinal successful January 2024 for defamation. While little courts person upheld nan verdict, nan payout has been paused while nan Supreme Court considers whether to perceive Trump's appeal.

One of Sullivan & Cromwell's partners, Jamie McDonald, was sworn successful this week arsenic U.S. lawyer for nan Southern District of New York aft antecedently serving arsenic 1 of Trump's individual lawyers.