Trump assault claims woman files defamation lawsuit against president-elect

WASHINGTON, 18 Jan. - (ANA) - A former contestant on the US version of The Apprentice who accused Donald Trump of sexual assault has filed a lawsuit against him.

Summer Zervos is suing the president-elect, who takes office on Friday, for defamation after he dismissed her allegations as false.

In the final weeks in the race for the White House, Ms Zervos was one of a number of women to make claims about the Republican billionaire's behaviour.

The ex-reality television star said she would drop the legal action if President-elect Trump admitted she told the truth.

Ms Zervos told reporters on Tuesday: "Today I filed a lawsuit against Donald Trump for defamation. On November 11, 2016, I called on Mr Trump to retract his statements about me calling me a liar.

"I also called upon him to state that what I said about his behaviour towards me was true.

"More than two months have gone by and he has not issued that retraction.

"I wanted to give Mr Trump the opportunity to retract his false statements about me and the other women who came forward.

"Since Mr Trump has not issued a retraction as I requested, he has therefore left me with no alternative other than to sue him in order to vindicate my reputation.

"I want Mr Trump to know that I will still be willing to dismiss my case against him immediately for no monetary compensation if he would simply retract his false and defamatory statements about me, and acknowledge that I told the truth about him." - (ANA) -

AB/ANA/ 18 january 2017 - - -