A US judge has authorized magazine writer E. Jean Carroll to collect a multimillion-dollar damages award from President Donald Trump. The decision follows a 2023 civil verdict that found Trump liable for sexually abusing and defaming Carroll.
US District Judge Lewis Kaplan ordered the release of nearly $5.8 million. The amount includes the original $5 million jury award and accumulated interest.
The funds had remained in escrow while Trump challenged the verdict through the appeals process. However, the US Supreme Court declined to hear his appeal on June 29. None of the nine justices, including the three appointed by Trump, publicly dissented from that decision.
Shortly after Judge Kaplan issued the order, Trump appealed the ruling to the federal appeals court in Manhattan.
Trump Continues to Challenge the Verdict
A spokesperson for Trump’s legal team criticized the ruling and defended the president.
“The American People stand with President Trump as they demand an immediate end to all of the Witch Hunts, including the Democrat-funded travesty of the Carroll Hoaxes,” the spokesperson said.
Meanwhile, Carroll’s lawyers did not immediately comment on the latest court decision.
Trump’s Lawyers Seek Further Supreme Court Review
Before the judge authorized the payment, Trump’s lawyers asked the court to delay the release of the funds. They argued that Carroll should wait until the Supreme Court considered a renewed request to overturn the verdict.
According to the filing, Trump would suffer “unrecoverable loss” if Carroll donated the money before the legal process concluded. His lawyers argued that recovering the funds later would likely become impossible.
They also warned that allowing Carroll to receive the money before a potential rehearing would “undermine public confidence in an orderly judicial process.”
Additionally, Trump’s legal team argued that the case has fueled “concerns about politically motivated weaponization of the legal system.”
On Wednesday, Trump formally asked the Supreme Court to reconsider its decision not to hear his appeal. However, the nation’s highest court rarely agrees to rehear cases after initially declining them.
Long-Running Legal Battle Continues
Carroll, 82, and Trump, 80, have remained locked in legal battles for nearly seven years.
The dispute began after Carroll publicly accused Trump of raping her around 1996 in a dressing room at the Bergdorf Goodman department store in Manhattan.
Trump has consistently denied the allegations. He has described Carroll’s claims as a “hoax” and “con job.” He has also denied knowing her and argued that she fabricated the allegations to promote her memoir.
In the 2023 civil trial, jurors awarded Carroll $5 million in damages. The verdict was based on Trump’s 2022 statements denying her allegations. However, the jury did not conclude that Trump had raped Carroll.
Separate Damages Award Remains Under Appeal
The legal dispute extends beyond the 2023 verdict.
In January 2024, a separate jury ordered Trump to pay $83.3 million in damages. That ruling stemmed from Trump’s 2019 public statements denying Carroll’s allegations during his first term as president.
Trump has argued that those statements are protected by presidential immunity.
Last September, the 2nd US Circuit Court of Appeals refused to overturn the $83.3 million judgment.
Trump now plans to challenge that ruling before the Supreme Court. His lawyers argue that a successful appeal could also affect the legal basis of the earlier $5 million verdict.
Meanwhile, Carroll has accused Trump of delaying both lawsuits to avoid accountability as the long-running legal battle continues.
