Jean Carroll says Trump adviser’s ex-husband encouraged her to sue former president for rape

(Trigger warning: Some readers may find details of this report disturbing. Discretion is advised.)

Former magazine columnist, E. Jean Carroll, who accused Donald Trump of rape, has made yet another shocking revelation saying that she was encouraged to sue the former United States President by George Conway, the ex-husband of top Trump aide Kellyanne Conway and a vocal critic of the former president.

On Monday, Carroll told the jury hearing her lawsuit that she took up the legal action against Trump within days of being motivated to do so by Conway at a party where he laid out the difference between civil and criminal cases.

“George said you should seriously think about this,” she told the jury of six men and three women during questioning by Trump's lawyer, as per media reports.

E. Jean Carroll's chilling testimony

The former Elle magazine advice columnist has accused Trump of raping her in a Bergdorf Goodman department store dressing room, based on Fifth Avenue in Midtown Manhattan, New York, in late 1995 or early 1996.

Carroll testified that she was "delighted" to go shopping with Trump because she felt it would be a nice story to share with her friends.

“Well, it was such a funny New York scene,” Carroll said adding, “I love to give advice and here was Donald Trump asking me for advice about buying a present.”

When the two made their way to the lingerie department, Carroll said the “comedy was escalating” but it never occurred to her that Trump might try to rape her. Trump directed Carroll to try on a sheer grey bodysuit. She playfully suggested that he put it on instead, Carroll said.

Carroll testified that she had no intention of trying on the bodysuit but had instead followed Trump's gesture into the changing room in a hope that it would make for a humorous "Saturday Night Live" sketch.

“I didn’t picture anything about what was about to happen,” she said Wednesday. “That open door has plagued me for years because I just walked into it, walked in.”

Carroll described how, despite her protests, Trump allegedly pushed her up against the wall and placed his fingers, then his penis into her.

She has also sued Trump for battery and defamation in a civil trial for tarring her reputation and career by lying about it online and denying her claims.

Her defamation claim concerns a social media post on Trump's Truth Social platform in October 2022, where he called the former Elle magazine advice columnist's case a 'complete con job' and 'a hoax and a lie'.

Trump’s attorney accuses judge of bias

On Monday, Donald Trump's lawyer Joe Tacopina sent a letter accusing US District Judge Lewis Kaplan of bias against the former president, seeking a mistrial.

Tacopina said several "unfair and prejudicial" rulings by Kaplan reflected a "deeper leaning" toward Carroll, including comments where the judge "openly expresses favouritism".

Tacopina said Kaplan, who is an appointee of Democratic President Bill Clinton, should have let him question Carroll about why she did not seek security camera footage of the alleged rape.

(With inputs from agencies)

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