Woman who accused Roy Moore files defamation lawsuit

In a lawsuit that echoes a civil case against President Donald Trump, an Alabamawoman on Thursday sued failedU.S. Senate candidate Roy Moore and his campaign for defamation, citing harsh personal attacks she faced after coming forward with allegations that he touched her sexually when she was 14 years old.

Leigh Corfman is not seeking financial compensation beyond legal costs, said her attorney, Neil Roman. She is asking for a declaratory judgment of defamation, a public apology from Moore, and a courtenforced ban on him or his campaign publicly attacking her again. Corfman said in a statement that the suit seeks “to do what I could not do as a 14-yearold — hold Mr. Moore and those who enable him accountable.”

A representative of Moore’s campaign, Brett Doster, said, “We look forward to transparently discussing thesematters in a court of law.”

Corfman told TheWashington Post in November that when Moore was a 32-year- old assistant district attorney in 1979, he took her to his house, undressed her, touched her over her underpants and bra and guided her hand to touch his genitals over his underwear.

The allegations upended the race. On Election Day, exit polls showed 52 percent of voters in Alabama believed the allegations against Moore were probably or definitely true, and seven percent said those allegationswere the most important factor in deciding their vote. Doug Jones’ victory marked the first time in 25 years that a Democrat in Alabamawon aU.S. Senate race.

Among Moore’s statements that the suit claims are defamatory: He called Corfman’s allegations of abuse “politically motivated,” “completely false” and“malicious.” OnNov. 10, the day after the Post published its story, Moore told Sean Hannity of Fox News he had never met Corfman. Weeks later, in a complaint that unsuccessfully sought to disqualify the election results, Moore said a polygraph confirmed that he did not know her.