donald trump received another legal setback on Wednesday after a federal judge denied his request to delay testifying in a defamation lawsuit filed by a journalist alleging the former president raped her.

What happened: US District Judge Lewis Kaplan ruled that, contrary to Trump’s claims, the removal of the former US leader would not place an “unreasonable burden” on him, reported Reuters.

“We are pleased that Judge Kaplan has agreed with our position not to stay the investigation in this case,” he said Robert Kaplanthe advocate for author and journalist E. Jean Carroll.

According to Reuters, Trump’s attorneys claim he is protected from the lawsuit under a federal law that grants government employees immunity from lawsuits for defamation.

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Why it matters: a federal appeals court in late September Overturn Kaplan’s judgment that Trump was not protected by the federal law protecting employees against defamation.

Carroll filed the defamation lawsuit in 2019 after Trump made statements in response to the journalist’s rape allegations. He said at the time, “She’s not my type.”

However, Trump’s legal troubles could increase, as Carroll plans sue him for sexual harassment under a law scheduled to take effect on November 24.

The former president accused Carroll of fabricating a story truth social On Wednesday. He said, “Meanwhile, and for the record, E. Jean Carroll is not telling the truth, is a woman I had nothing to do with.”

Truth Social is part of Trump media and technology groupa company that is to go public through a merger Digital World Acquisition Corp. DWAC.

Continue reading: Trump’s request for Supreme Court intervention in the Mar-A-Lago case is denied by the Justice Department