President Trump was handed major court victories on Friday night after two New York judges dismissed two lawsuits filed against him by former “Apprentice” star Summer Zervos and Trump’s former attorney Michael Cohen.
Trump’s legal team was notified Friday that Zervos’ case against him was dropped, bringing an end to a lawsuit that has been ongoing since 2017 and delivering a major victory to Trump.
Zervos’ attorneys Beth Wilkinson and Moira Penza stated in an official statement on Friday, “After five years, Ms. Zervos no longer wishes to litigate against the defendant and has secured the right to speak freely about her experience.”
Trump’s legal team was reportedly preparing to countersue Zervos for attempting to restrict his First Amendment rights in labeling her accusations as “fake news.” This could have motivated her abrupt decision to entirely drop the lawsuit against Trump.
Fox News reported that if the lawsuit had continued, Trump would have been faced with a Dec. 23 deadline to make an appearance at court for a deposition. Since Zervos’ case was completely dropped, he will not have to make an appearance at court regarding this lawsuit.
Trump’s spokeswoman, Liz Harrington, immediately responded to the news that Summer Zervos dropped the defamation case against Trump: “The Fake News Media totally and completely distorted the facts—they are corrupt. President Trump has been totally vindicated.”
The 45th president also commented on the “sad” reality of countless lawsuits being raised against him in order to damage his reputation. “It is so sad when things like this can happen, but so incredibly important to fight for the truth and justice. Only victory can restore one’s reputation!” he said.
This major victory for Trump marks the conclusion of another attack against him in the media’s attempt to drive Trump out of the political arena before the 2024 presidential election.
The New York Post reported, “Zervos, during the 2016 presidential campaign, accused Trump of groping and kissing her against her will in a Beverly Hills hotel in 2007 while she was on the TV show.” Zervos sued the President for defamation in 2017 due to Trump labeling her accusations as “fake news.”
The judge ordered that both parties would be responsible to pay for their own legal fees, meaning that Trump is not liable to pay anything to Zervos in relation to the case. Additionally, the case was dismissed with prejudice by the New York judge, which means that it can not be refiled by Zervos.
In a separate victory on Friday night, Michael Cohen’s lawsuit against Trump for legal fees was dismissed.
A spokesperson for the Trump organization responded to the dismissal of the case, stating:
“Today’s incredible victory for the Trump Organization puts an end to the frivolous litigation by convicted felon Michael Cohen. While the Southern District of New York already found that Mr. Cohen engaged in a ‘smorgasbord of fraudulent conduct…motivated by personal greed and ambition,”
Spokesperson for Trump Organization
Fox News reported Judge M. Cohen dismissed Michael Cohen’s lawsuit on the basis that his lawsuit was built on oral agreements with Trump that were nullified by written agreements. Additionally, the judge ruled that the majority of the legal bills Cohen had linked to the Trump Organization were not actually linked to the organization. As a result, the case against Trump has been dismissed.
While it is not yet clear if Cohen will seek an appeal for his case, news of the conclusion of another lawsuit against Trump has given him another major victory.
After several years of litigation in the courts, the 45th president can finally put these cases behind him and can keep his focus on helping Republicans retake the House and the Senate in the 2022 midterms.
The role of the news media in these cases against Trump cannot be overstated. Media outlets used both cases as well as many other cases in an attempt to smear the reputation of President Trump. With Trump receiving victories in each of these cases, the question remains whether the news media will continue to attack his reputation or whether they will focus on the current state of the nation under the Biden administration.
