|
In
a one-page order, the Appellate Division in Manhattan did not
explain why it refused to stay the lawsuit by Summer Zervos
while the president appeals a March 20 lower court ruling that
allowed the California restaurateur to pursue her case.
The White House was not immediately available for comment.
Trump is appealing a ruling by Justice Jennifer Schecter of the
State Supreme Court in Manhattan, which rejected his claim that
as president he was immune from lawsuits over private conduct
predating his entering the White House.
Zervos, an "Apprentice" contestant in 2005, accused Trump of
kissing her against her will at a 2007 meeting in New York and
later groping her at a Beverly Hills hotel.
She first came forward in October 2016, a month before the
presidential election, following the release of a 2005 "Access
Hollywood" recording in which Trump spoke in vulgar terms about
women.
While Trump apologized for his comments, he said repeatedly
during his campaign that all accusations made by women after the
"Access Hollywood" recording became public were "lies." He also
republished on Twitter a post calling Zervos' claims a hoax.
Zervos has said those denials amounted to defamation and that
diners avoided her restaurant after she was branded a liar.
"We look forward to proving Ms. Zervos's claim that defendant
lied when he maliciously attacked her for reporting his sexually
abusive behavior," Zervos' law firm, Cuti Hecker Wang said in a
statement on Thursday.
Several women have accused Trump of improper sexual conduct or
said he had affairs with them.
Stormy Daniels, a pornographic film actress whose real name is
Stephanie Clifford, is seeking to end an agreement in which
Trump's personal lawyer Michael Cohen paid her $130,000 not to
discuss her alleged affair with Trump.
(Reporting by Jonathan Stempel in New York; editing by Chizu
Nomiyama, Richard Chang and Jonathan Oatis)
[© 2018 Thomson Reuters. All rights
reserved.] Copyright 2018 Reuters. All rights reserved. This material may not be published,
broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Thompson Reuters is solely responsible for this content.
|
|
