Elite law firm faces backlash after joining Trump’s fight against E. Jean Carroll verdict

Elite law firm faces backlash after joining Trump’s fight against E. Jean Carroll verdict President Donald Trump and the Justice Department are asking the Supreme Court to toss an $83 million defamation verdict won by writer E. Jean Carroll - Bookmark - CommentsGo to comments A powerful Wall Street law firm with close ties to President Donald Trump has joined his effort to persuade the U.S. Supreme Court to throw out the $83.3 million defamation verdict won by writer E. Jean Carroll. The move marks a reversal for Sullivan & Cromwell, which had previously indicated it would not handle the high-profile case after taking Trump on as a client earlier this year, according to The Wall Street Journal. The firm's involvement has sparked sharp criticism from some lawyers. Attorney George Conway wrote on X that he was stunned to see the firm representing Trump in the case. "The once-venerated white-shoe New York law firm of @sullcrom is representing an adjudicated rapist in a case brought by the victim," Conway wrote. "I never thought I would live to see something like this." New York attorney Catherine Cullen also criticized the decision, writing on Bluesky that Sullivan & Cromwell had thrown away its credibility and reputation. According to The Wall Street Journal, the firm's co-chair, Robert Giuffra, initially told partners it would not participate in the Carroll litigation. The newspaper reported that the decision changed after an intervention by Trump's longtime adviser and lawyer Boris Epshteyn. The development comes as Trump and the Justice Department ask the Supreme Court to erase the $83.3 million judgment, arguing the president cannot be held personally liable for statements he made while serving in the White House. Federal lawyers say the case should fall under the Westfall Act, which protects government employees from personal lawsuits over actions taken within the scope of their official duties. "Absent this 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," government lawyers wrote. Trump's legal team also argues the appeals court wrongly rejected his claim that presidential immunity shields him from the damages because the statements were made in 2019 while he was president. "This is the first case in our nation's history in which a court has imposed damages liability on a president for his conduct in office," Trump's lawyers wrote, calling the award "grossly excessive." The Supreme Court declined in June to hear Trump's appeal of a separate $5 million verdict in Carroll's favor, which found him liable for sexual abuse and defamation. Carroll has accused Trump of sexually assaulting her in a dressing room at Bergdorf Goodman in the mid-1990s before defaming her in 2019 by denying the allegation and questioning her motives after she went public in a memoir. Trump has repeatedly denied assaulting Carroll or wrongdoing. A Manhattan jury awarded Carroll $83.3 million in January 2024 for defamation. While lower courts have upheld the verdict, the payout has been paused while the Supreme Court considers whether to hear Trump's appeal. One of Sullivan & Cromwell's partners, Jamie McDonald, was sworn in this week as U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York after previously serving as one of Trump's personal lawyers. Join our commenting forum Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies Comments