Trump Campaign Served Subpoena For Documents on Sexual Assault Allegations
A former contestant on The Apprentice who accused President Trump of sexual harassment when he hosted the show has filed a subpoena for all documents relating to similar claims made by more than a dozen women against the president.
The subpoena, which was first reported by Buzzfeed News, was filed by attorneys representing Summer Zervos in March; it was entered into the court file in September. Zervos’ request asks the Trump campaign to deliver “all documents concerning any accusations that were made during Donald J. Trump’s election campaign for president, that he subjected any woman to unwanted sexual touching and/or sexually inappropriate behavior.”
If the Trump campaign is forced to comply with the order, which they must respond to by Oct. 31, documents pertaining to all of the women who have accused Trump of sexual assault or inappropriate sexual misconduct will be released to Zervos and her attorneys. Zervos claims Trump groped her and tried to kiss her when they met at the Beverly Hills Hotel in 2007 to discuss her possible employment at the Trump Organization.
Trump accused her of lying about the encounter, which prompted Zervos to file a defamation lawsuit against him. As a part of that suit, Zervos and her attorney’s requested the Trump campaign preserve all documents pertaining to her claim and those made by other women. Gloria Allred, a prominent women’s rights attorney representing Zervos, said in an email to NBC News that Trump’s campaign “gave assurances” on the documents preservation.
Like several of Trump’s accusers, Zervos came forward after a video of his nauseating boasts about “grabbing women by the pussy” on Access Hollywood was published by The Washington Post in October of last year. Trump, of course, has denied all of the allegations and even went so far as to suggest his accusers weren’t attractive enough for his hideous advances.
In a statement given to BuzzFeed, Allred said she hoped “the court will deny President Trump’s motion to dismiss” so that her team of lawyers could “obtain relevant documents and testimony.”