Roy Moore files lawsuit claiming 'political conspiracy' against him in Senate race

Roy Moore, the former judge who lost his Senate bid in Alabama late last year after several women accused him of sexual misconduct when he was in his 30s and they were teenagers, filed a lawsuit on Monday against three of those women.

The suit claims he was the target of a political conspiracy meant to derail his campaign, with additional counts of defamation, intentional infliction of emotional distress, and outrage. The suit also alleges that the defendants "have committed libel and slander against Judge Moore" and those statements "caused harm to the reputation of Judge Moore and also to his wife Kayla, lowered their standing in the community, and discouraged members of the community from associating with them." Moore has denied the allegations and said during a press conference on Monday he "never knew" the women who made the accusations.

The attorney for one of the defendants, Leigh Corfman, said Moore's claims have no merit and his client is "no longer a teenager and is not going to let Mr. Moore victimize her again." Last year, Corfman told The Washington Post that when she was 14 and Moore was 32, he undressed her and touched her over her underwear, while encouraging her to do the same to him.

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