Former President Trump's lawyer Alina Haba announced on Friday that she will be representing the former president after a jury ruled in favor of columnist E. Jean Carroll in the defamation case against the former president. He said he was proud of him.
“I have been in this state, in the state of New York, in Attorney General Letitia James, and now here, for months after trial after trial. Week after week after week. Why? Because President Trump is in the polls. Because we're in the lead and we know what we're going to get in New York,” Haba told the media after the jury's decision. CNN reported.
“So don't get it twisted,” she continued. “I'm very proud to be with President Trump. But I'm not proud to support what I saw in that courtroom.”
Haba's fiery comments come after Trump was ordered to pay $83.8 million in 2019 for defaming Carroll when he denied accusations that he sexually assaulted her decades ago. It was announced immediately after.
This is the second time Carroll has won damages from Trump over this incident. She received $5 million in a verdict last year after her former president was found responsible for sexually abusing her in the 1990s and defaming her in separate comments.
In comments outside the courtroom, Haba singled out Judge Lewis Kaplan, saying he tried to prevent “all of President Trump's defenses” from being raised before the jury. She claimed there was no evidence and she expressed her frustration that “experts were denied the ability to take a position.”
She also criticized Mr. Carroll's attorney, Roberta Kaplan, for bringing in witnesses who were “paid for” by Mr. Kaplan's office.
“This is a violation of everything I stand for, that's why I support Trump, and that's why so many Americans are proud to see him running again and heading to the ballot box. We are excited, but don't get it twisted. We are witnessing a violation of the justice system,” the lawyer said.
During the trial, the judge threatened to send two Mr. Haba to prison for “disruptive conduct” and to remove Mr. Trump from the courtroom. The trial in the scandal ended with a verdict, but was temporarily adjourned because a juror became unwell.
Trump, who attended the trial voluntarily, abruptly left the court on Friday while Carroll's team was delivering closing arguments.
The former president vowed to appeal what he called the “ridiculous” ruling.
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