Leigh Corfman, one of the women who accused failed U.S. Senate candidate Roy Moore of sexual misconduct, is suing Moore and his campaign for defamation due to the sharp personal attacks she encountered after coming forward with her allegations.
In a lawsuit filed Thursday, Corfman requested a declaratory judgement of defamation, a public apology from Moore, and a court-enforced ban that would prevent him or the campaign from attacking her in the future.
Four women, including Corfman, told the Washington Post on the record in November about their alleged interactions with Moore. They said the former judge took them on dates and brought them back to his home, despite the fact he was nearly twice their age and they were between the ages of 14 and 18. Other women came forward with additional allegations afterwards.
Corfman said Moore initiated sexual contact with her when she was 14 years old at Moore’s home. She said she did not have intercourse with Moore and requested to be taken home.
In response, Moore said Corfman’s allegations were “politically motivated,” “completely false,” and “malicious.” Just after the allegations emerged, Moore told Fox News host Sean Hannity that he had never met Corfman.
Corfman said in a statement the suit is intended “to do what I could not do as a 14-year-old — hold Mr. Moore and those who enable him accountable.”
This isn’t the first time Corfman has pushed back on Moore’s claims. In late November, Corfman penned an open letter to him, after he had claimed at a rally in Henagar, Ala., that he was “fighting a spiritual battle" and didn’t know any of the women who had accused him.
“[W]hen you personally denounced me last night and called me slanderous names, I decided that I am done being silent,” Corfman wrote about Moore. “What you did to me when I was 14-years old should be revolting to every person of good morals. But now you are attacking my honesty and integrity. Where does your immorality end?”
“I demand that you stop calling me a liar and attacking my character. Your smears and false denials, and those of others who repeat and embellish them, are defamatory and damaging to me and my family,” she added. “I am telling the truth, and you should have the decency to admit it and apologize.”
Moore’s campaign did not initially provide a comment to the Washington Post on the lawsuit, which was filed in a state court in Montgomery County, Ala., but later issued a statement saying "we look forward to transparently discussing these matters in a court of law."
UPDATE: Moore camp issues this statement re lawsuit "we look forward to transparently discussing these matters in a court of law."— Jenn Horton (@JennWSFA) January 4, 2018
Moore lost the Alabama special election for a U.S. Senate seat in December. His Democratic challenger Doug Jones was sworn into office on Wednesday.