A high-profile legal battle has taken another turn as federal courts have ruled in favor of E. Jean Carroll, a writer who accused former President Donald Trump of sexual abuse and defamation. The decision allows Carroll to collect $5.8 million, which has been held in escrow since a jury’s verdict earlier this year. The ruling has been met with an immediate appeal by Trump’s legal team in an attempt to halt the payment.
Trump, who has already placed the funds in an escrow account, faced a setback when the U.S. Supreme Court allowed the 2023 civil verdict to stand. This decision cleared the path for Judge Lewis A. Kaplan to release the money, which has accumulated interest, raising the total from an initial $5 million to $5.8 million.
The jury’s decision was based on allegations that Trump attacked Carroll in 1996 in a Manhattan department store dressing room and later defamed her by publicly denying the incident in her 2019 memoir. Trump dismissed the allegations, stating “she’s not my type” in an interview. Despite Trump’s absence from the trial, Carroll testified about their encounter, which she claimed turned violent after a friendly exchange.
Trump’s attorneys have continued to appeal, alleging that political adversaries are weaponizing the legal system against him. They have petitioned the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals to prevent the financial transfer. Carroll’s legal representatives have yet to comment on the ongoing appeals.
This legal saga began after New York amended its laws, granting survivors of sexual abuse a renewed opportunity to pursue claims for historic incidents. In a related case, Trump is contesting an $83 million defamation award given to Carroll by a separate jury in 2024, following a brief testimony by Trump.
At that trial, Judge Kaplan instructed the jury to accept the earlier verdict and assess the damages Trump owed Carroll for comments made during his presidency. Trump’s defense has criticized the trial’s guidelines, claiming they were barred from arguing that the incident never occurred.
The 2nd Circuit has declined to rehear an appeal regarding the $83 million award. Circuit Judge Denny Chin noted that Trump repeatedly claimed Carroll lied for political and financial reasons and suggested she lacked the attractiveness necessary for an assault to have occurred.
Judge Chin emphasized that Carroll faced harassment and threats due to Trump’s statements and expressed concern over Trump’s ongoing attacks, stating, “And Trump showed no remorse, continuing his attacks against Carroll during and after two federal trials, and even proclaiming two days into the Carroll I trial that he would continue to defame her ‘a thousand times.’”
For more details on the case and related legal proceedings, visit the following links: E. Jean Carroll, Donald Trump, and the lawsuit.
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