Payment of Damages to E Jean Carroll
US President Donald Trump has paid writer E Jean Carroll more than $5 million (£3.7 million) in damages, three years after being found liable for sexually abusing and defaming her in a civil case, according to confirmation from Carroll's legal team.
"Today, we are pleased to report that she has received the damages payment the jury awarded her as a result of that verdict,"said Roberta Kaplan, a lawyer representing Carroll, in a brief statement on Tuesday.
Trump had sought to delay the payment in order to petition the Supreme Court to reconsider its decision not to hear his appeal of the case. However, last week, the judge overseeing the matter ordered Trump to pay the damages.
A representative from Trump's legal team declined to comment on the payment.
A statement from Carroll's attorneys confirmed that she received more than $5.62 million, which includes the $5 million awarded in damages plus the interest accrued during the appeals process.
Background of the Case
Carroll, a former magazine columnist now aged 82, accused Trump of sexually assaulting her in the mid-1990s in a dressing room at the Bergdorf Goodman department store in Manhattan. She also alleged that Trump defamed her through a 2022 post on his Truth Social website, in which he denied her allegations.
In 2023, a New York jury unanimously awarded Carroll damages based on her claims. Trump has consistently denied the allegations.
Following the verdict, Trump placed the damages amount into a court-controlled account, where it remained during the appeals process.
Legal Responses and Appeals
Trump's lawyers criticized the judge's ruling requiring payment, describing the case as a "hoax" and a "Witch Hunt," which they claimed was funded by Democrats.
Trump has repeatedly alleged that Judge Lewis Kaplan, who presided over the civil trial, improperly admitted evidence that prejudiced the jury against him.
A federal appeals court upheld the jury's verdict last year, stating that Judge Kaplan did not commit errors warranting a new trial.
Last month, the Supreme Court declined Trump's request to review the case, thereby allowing the payment to be released to Carroll.
Carroll celebrated the ruling on her Substack blog, writing:
"WE WON!"
"THIS WIN IS FOR EVERY WOMAN IN THE WORLD!"
Additional Legal Proceedings
Trump has also appealed a separate 2024 jury decision that found him liable for defaming Carroll in another instance, which resulted in an award of nearly $84 million to her. A panel of federal judges denied his appeal last year.
