Judge Forces Trump to Fork Over $5 Million to E. Jean Carroll After Sexual Abuse Verdict

A federal judge has ordered the release of over $5 million, plus interest, to E. Jean Carroll after a jury found President Trump liable for sexual abuse and defamation in 2023. This comes despite Trump's lawyers protesting vehemently to keep the funds in a court-controlled account.

The money has been stagnant in a bank account for three years, with Trump insisting it should remain there. His legal team filed an immediate notice of appeal against the judge's order, attempting to stall the transfer.

Carroll's legal team has been pushing for the release of the funds since the Supreme Court declined to hear Trump's appeal on June 29, seemingly closing the door on the matter. However, Trump is now asking the Supreme Court to reconsider its decision, arguing that the lower court judge should delay disbursing Carroll's winnings until the Supreme Court re-evaluates the case.

Carroll has been granted an expedited schedule by the judge to receive her $5 million in damages, along with hundreds of thousands in accrued interest since the jury's decision in 2023.

Roberta Kaplan, Carroll's attorney, slammed Trump's latest Supreme Court maneuver as "gamesmanship," accusing him of trying to "buy time" to devise new reasons to delay payment.

Trump's fight against paying Carroll began immediately after a federal jury took less than three hours to determine he likely sexually abused her during a 1990s encounter in a department store. He has consistently denied her allegations since they surfaced in 2019.

His denials are critical to Carroll's defamation claims. Trump has claimed he did not know Carroll, labeled her "not my type," and dismissed her story as a "hoax" and a "con." These statements form the backbone of her defamation case.

In a separate defamation trial in 2024, Carroll secured over $83 million from Trump, stemming from his repeated denials of abusing her. Trump is also seeking Supreme Court intervention regarding this case, asserting that constitutional claims in this matter overlap with those from the $5 million trial.

The Supreme Court previously declined to hear arguments related to whether inadmissible evidence was allowed during the $5 million trial. In the $83 million case, Trump contends that presidential immunity should have barred the jury from viewing certain defamatory statements made during his presidency.

The Supreme Court has yet to respond to Trump's latest request.