Leigh Corfman, one of several woman to accuse U.S. Senate candidate Roy Moore of sexual misconduct in November, is suing him for defamation, The Washington Post reported on Thursday.
The suit alleges that Moore made defamatory remarks and personally attacked Corfman after she alleged that he touched her sexually in 1979, when she was 14 and he was 32. Her allegations, published in the Post a month before Moore ran in the Alabama special election, inspired several other women to come forward with their own allegations of the candidate’s sexual misconduct.
“We look forward to transparently discussing these matters in a court of law,” Moore’s campaign said in a statement Thursday.
Corfman’s lawsuit does not seek financial compensation beyond her own legal costs, but instead asks for “a declaratory judgment of defamation, a public apology from Moore, and a court-enforced ban on him or his campaign publicly attacking her again,” the Post reports.
Moore, who lost the U.S. Senate race to Democrat Doug Jones in a stunning upset last month, firmly denied Corfman’s and others’ accusations.
“These allegations are completely false and misleading,” Moore said during an appearance on Sean Hannity’s radio show shortly after the Post bombshell. “I believe they’re politically motivated, to stop a successful campaign.”
Following his denial, far-right outlet Breitbart and other Moore supporters came to the candidate’s defense and attempted to disprove Corfman’s account of Moore’s behavior.
Corfman’s lawsuit is an opportunity for her to pursue legal action against Moore even though the statute of limitations on the alleged assault has run out. Women accusing President Donald Trump and comedian Bill Cosby of sexual misconduct have also pursued defamation cases.
This story has been updated with a statement from Moore’s campaign.