Former 'Apprentice' contestant battles Trump in court
CLOSE A former cast member of the reality TV show 'The Apprentice' who has accused  Donald Trump  of unwanted sexual contact and has filed a New York defamation lawsuit against him has thanked her lawyers and says the case should go forward. (Dec. 5) AP
Photo shows  Trump  accuser Summer Zervos (center)  flanked by attorneys Mariann Meier Wang (left) and Gloria Allred (right) after a New York Supreme Court hearing in her defamation lawsuit against  President Trump . (Photo: Robert Deutsch  USAT)
NEW YORK â The lawsuit filed against  President Trump  by a former contestant on The Apprentice who accused  him  of groping and then defaming her moved a step closer Tuesday to a decision on whether the case should go to trial.
In clashing court arguments  lawyers for Summer Zervos said she suffered threats after  Trump  publicly said she had "made up" her claims in a politically motivated effort to help Hillary Clinton beat  him  in the 2016 presidential race.
 Trump  "cannot be allowed to attack a woman who has factually described  his  sexual groping and be allowed to get off scot-free " argued Zervos attorney Mariann Meier Wang during the hour-long hearing before Manhattan Supreme Court Justice Jennifer Schecter.
Marc Kasowitz   Trump 's personal lawyer  contended that  Trump  said nothing wrong while defending  himself . He also argued that the case cannot legally be tried in state court  and should be dismissed or at least delayed.
Citing the U.S. Constitution's supremacy clause  he said  Trump 's motion to throw out the case "has nothing to do with putting anyone above the law." Instead  he said it was about "protecting the ability of the president to do his constitutionally-mandated job."
Zervos  who sat quietly in the lower Manhattan courtroom behind her attorneys  is among roughly a dozen women who publicly accused  Trump  of sexual misconduct during last year's presidential race. But she's the first to sue him.
Filed in January  her legal action alleges that  Trump  âambushedâ her more than once in 2007  six years before he was elected president  by kissing her on the mouth  touching her breast  and pressing his genitals against her.
Zervos also accused  Trump  of defaming her during campaign rallies and via Twitter  his favorite social media platform. At an Oct. 15  2016  campaign stop in Maine   Trump  alluded to Zervos by referring to "false allegations and outright lies  in an effort to elect Hillary Clinton President " the lawsuit charges.
CLOSE Summer Zervos accused  Donald Trump  of groping her  and she filed a defamation lawsuit after  he  called her accusations a lie. Video provided by Newsy Newslook
 Trump  has denied Zervos' allegations  which echo other womenâs claims.  Trump  has dismissed them as false.
During Tuesday's court hearing  Kasowitz contended that  Trump 's statements about Zervos were constitutionally protected remarks in which  he  defended  himself .
This combination photo shows  President Trump  listening during a 2017 White House meeting on health care  and Summer Zervos  a former contestant on "The Apprentice " at a 2016 news conference where she charged that  Trump  made unwanted sexual contact with her at a Beverly Hills hotel in 2007. (Photo: Associated Press)
 Trump 's attorneys are relying on some of the legal arguments then-President Bill Clinton's lawyers made when he was accused in a 1994 federal court lawsuit over an alleged sexual assault. Paula Jones alleged that the attack took place in 1991 when she was an Arkansas state employee and Clinton was the state's governor.
More:  Trump  borrows Bill Clinton's legal strategy as  he  battles defamation lawsuit
CLOSE A former cast member of the reality TV show 'The Apprentice' who has accused   [TGT] of unwanted sexual contact and has filed a New York defamation lawsuit against him has thanked her lawyers and says the case should go forward. (Dec. 5) AP
Photo shows   [TGT] accuser Summer Zervos (center)  flanked by attorneys Mariann Meier Wang (left) and Gloria Allred (right) after a New York Supreme Court hearing in her defamation lawsuit against  [TGT]  . (Photo: Robert Deutsch  USAT)
NEW YORK â The lawsuit filed against  President Trump  by a former contestant on The Apprentice who accused  him  of groping and then defaming her moved a step closer Tuesday to a decision on whether the case should go to trial.
In clashing court arguments  lawyers for Summer Zervos said she suffered threats after   [TGT]   publicly said  [TGT]  had "made up"  [TGT]  claims in a politically motivated effort to help Hillary Clinton beat   [TGT]   in the 2016 presidential race.
  [TGT]   "cannot be allowed to attack a woman who has factually described   [TGT]   sexual groping and be allowed to get off scot-free " argued Zervos attorney Mariann Meier Wang during the hour-long hearing before Manhattan Supreme Court Justice Jennifer Schecter.
Marc Kasowitz    [TGT]  's personal lawyer  contended that   [TGT] said nothing wrong while defending   [TGT]  . He also argued that the case cannot legally be tried in state court  and should be dismissed or at least delayed.
Citing the U.S. Constitution's supremacy clause  he said   [TGT]  's motion to throw out the case "has nothing to do with putting anyone above the law." Instead  he said it was about "protecting the ability of the president to do his constitutionally-mandated job."
Zervos  who sat quietly in the lower Manhattan courtroom behind her attorneys  is among roughly a dozen women who publicly accused   [TGT]   of sexual misconduct during last year's presidential race. But she's the first to sue  [TGT] .
Filed in January  her legal action alleges that  Trump  âambushedâ her more than once in 2007  six years before  [TGT]  was elected president  by kissing her on the mouth  touching her breast  and pressing  [TGT]  genitals against her.
Zervos also accused   [TGT] of defaming her during campaign rallies and via Twitter   [TGT]  favorite social media platform. At an Oct. 15  2016  campaign stop in Maine   Trump  alluded to Zervos by referring to "false allegations and outright lies  in an effort to elect Hillary Clinton President " the lawsuit charges.
CLOSE Summer Zervos accused   [TGT] of groping her  and she filed a defamation lawsuit after   [TGT]   called her accusations a lie. Video provided by Newsy Newslook
  [TGT] has denied Zervos' allegations  which echo other womenâs claims.   [TGT] has dismissed them as false.
During Tuesday's court hearing  Kasowitz contended that   [TGT]  's statements about Zervos were constitutionally protected remarks in which  he  defended  himself .
This combination photo shows   [TGT] listening during a 2017 White House meeting on health care  and Summer Zervos  a former contestant on "The Apprentice " at a 2016 news conference where  [TGT]  charged that   [TGT] made unwanted sexual contact with  [TGT]  at a Beverly Hills hotel in 2007. (Photo: Associated Press)
  [TGT]  's attorneys are relying on some of the legal arguments then-President Bill Clinton's lawyers made when he was accused in a 1994 federal court lawsuit over an alleged sexual assault. Paula Jones alleged that the attack took place in 1991 when she was an Arkansas state employee and Clinton was the state's governor.
More:   [TGT] borrows Bill Clinton's legal strategy as   [TGT]   battles defamation lawsuit