Judge Orders Trump's $5.8M Judgment Released to E. Jean Carroll
Judge Orders Trump's $5.8M Judgment Released to E. Jean Carroll
A federal judge has ordered the immediate release of over $5.8 million from Donald Trump's account to E. Jean Carroll. This follows a civil judgment for sexual abuse and defamation. Stay informed on this developing legal
A federal judge has ordered the release of more than $5 million to writer E. Jean Carroll, an amount former US President Donald Trump owes her following a verdict for sexual abuse and defamation. Judge Lewis Kaplan issued the order on Wednesday, directing a court clerk to disburse the funds, including interest, from an account where Trump had deposited the money after the initial ruling.
Trump had been attempting to delay the payment of the $5.8 million total, seeking to appeal to the Supreme Court after it declined to hear his prior appeal in the case. The judgment stems from a May 2023 New York jury decision that found Trump liable for sexually assaulting Carroll in the 1990s and then defaming her when he publicly called the incident a hoax.
Despite Trump's denials of the allegations, the legal process has moved forward. A spokesman for Trump's legal team criticized the decision, labeling it part of "Witch Hunts" and "Democrat-funded travesty." The spokesman further stated that "President Trump will keep winning against Liberal Lawfare, as he continues to focus on his mission to Make America Great Again." Shortly after the order, Trump's legal team filed an appeal to a federal court of appeals to prevent the funds' release.
Carroll, a former magazine columnist now 82, accused Trump of attacking her in a Bergdorf Goodman department store dressing room in Manhattan. She also alleged that Trump defamed her through a 2022 social media post denying her claims. The damages were placed into a court-controlled account post-verdict, pending the appeals process. While the judge's order is clear, the exact timing of the funds' release to Carroll remains unspecified.
Trump has consistently argued that Judge Kaplan improperly allowed evidence that negatively influenced the jury. However, a federal appeals court affirmed the jury's verdict last year, concluding that Kaplan made no errors that would warrant a new trial. Trump is also currently appealing an $83 million defamation judgment awarded to Carroll in a separate January 2024 trial.
