The Justice Department has reversed its position on a lawsuit brought by writer E. Jean Carroll against former President Donald Trump, saying that Trump was not acting within the scope of his presidential duties when he allegedly defamed Carroll. The lawsuit, which was filed in 2019, accuses Trump of defaming Carroll when he denied her allegation that he raped her in the 1990s. The Department's reversal is based on a jury's determination in a separate civil lawsuit that Trump was liable for sexual abuse and defamation of Carroll. It is unclear what impact the reversal will have on the case.