This is obviously wrong. The alleged conduct occurred before he became president and has nothing to do with his presidency. Taxpayers should not pay for his defense.
Sorry Bill Barr, DOJ‘s defense of Trump is indefensible.
— Barb McQuade (@BarbMcQuade) September 11, 2020
Absence of SDNY signature suggests they agree. My thoughts about DOJ‘s intervention in defamation suit in @NYMag. https://t.co/wCShFzQhgW
As you assess this week's damage, remember that just Tuesday Bill Barr turned "E. Jean Carroll vs. Donald Trump" into "E. Jean Carroll vs. the United States of America" & thus made the whole of our former liberal democracy coextensive w/Donald Trump. Me:https://t.co/PUVTr7iu3J
— Virginia Heffernan (@page88) September 11, 2020
The Department of Justice is Trump’s corrupt law firm. Voters need to resist becoming numb to forms of corruption that threaten to undermine equal justice and democratic rule.
— EJ Dionne (@EJDionne) September 10, 2020
My column https://t.co/skYxgxozhA
This is a risky strategy for Barr & Trump. They have to have known it would be widely condemned & seen for the fraud it is, which means they are really afraid of the strength of @ejeancarroll's case. https://t.co/fnmxSF4yJ1
— Joyce Alene (@JoyceWhiteVance) September 9, 2020
This is absurd and reflects the absolute legal and moral bankruptcy of this Attorney General. https://t.co/x00B0bFgiF
— Eric Holder (@EricHolder) September 9, 2020
DOJ gives legal representation to fed’l employees sued for actions w/in the scope of their employment. So, we’re now footing the bill for Trump’s defense, based on the ludicrous claim he was acting as POTUS when he called @ejeancarroll a liar. https://t.co/f4IvAg2KJw
— Joyce Alene (@JoyceWhiteVance) September 8, 2020
NYT just reported that one reason the Trump campaign has burned through so much $$ is that “outsize legal bills were treated as campaign costs.”
— Joshua Holland 🔥 (@JoshuaHol) September 9, 2020
Now Barr’s using the DOJ to pick up Trump’s “outsized legal bills” and ease that burden. It’s so corrupt. https://t.co/4pJh3rloSw
I wish I could say that this cannot be, but I have learned that the debasement of the Dept of Justice appears to be without bounds. This is really bad, folks. https://t.co/ztN7na4VCf
— Sherrilyn Ifill (@Sifill_LDF) September 9, 2020
I don’t have anything to add to this utter debasement of the Department of Justice we’re seeing with Barr throwing himself of Trump defend his private misconduct.
— Elie Mystal (@ElieNYC) September 9, 2020
Other than “I told you so that conservative lawyers were always full of shit and have no objective legal principles”
Just to be clear, DOJ's argument that Trump was acting "within the scope of his employment" when he defamed E. Jean Carroll is not an effort to *take over* defense of the suit; it's an effort to have the suit *dismissed*—because the government itself can't be sued for defamation.
— Steve Vladeck (@steve_vladeck) September 9, 2020
Trump wants our tax dollars to defend him as a rapist. Is that why you went to work today? https://t.co/ui7DVPVPuj
— stuart stevens (@stuartpstevens) September 9, 2020
The DOJ is not Trump’s private law firm. Our tax dollars should not pay for this. https://t.co/zTuGDoPafu
— Midwin Charles (@MidwinCharles) September 8, 2020
Justice Dept. Intervenes to Help Trump in E. Jean Carroll Rape Lawsuit https://t.co/v6eAYXRusZ
— Wajahat "Wears a Mask Because of a Pandemic" Ali (@WajahatAli) September 8, 2020
So now Barr has decided (1) that Trump somehow was acting *in his official capacity as president* when he called E. Jean Carroll a liar for accusing him of sexual assault, and (2) taxpayers should foot the bill for Trump’s defense.
— Elie Honig (@eliehonig) September 8, 2020
Another utter debasement of DOJ by Barr.
JUST IN: The Justice Department, in an extraordinary move, wants to take over President Trump's defense in a defamation lawsuit filed against him by E. Jean Carroll, who has accused him of sexual assault https://t.co/rTownef61G
— CNN Politics (@CNNPolitics) September 9, 2020
DOJ is now arguing that when Trump said "she's not my type" he was … acting in his official capacity & within the scope of his employment as President.
— Leah Litman (@LeahLitman) September 8, 2020
This is truly grotesque–they're saying that misogyny is the President's official duties/within the scope of his job. https://t.co/LOjKDCgXDa
DOJ is allowed—indeed, it is *required*—to take over tort suits against federal officials for torts committed within the scope of their employment.
— Steve Vladeck (@steve_vladeck) September 8, 2020
But how is claiming that Carroll lied about a decades-old rape allegation within the scope of Trump’s employment *as President*?!? https://t.co/Kc6ZPfy0SU
Is this just basically Trump trying to stick taxpayers with his legal bills? https://t.co/RjHc4Q84Am
— S.V. Dáte (@svdate) September 8, 2020
This has nothing to do with his time as president. He should pay for this with his own money – not ours!
— Harris Levy (@HarrisL585) September 8, 2020
Sad! 