Trump Pays Substantial Damages in Sexual Abuse Case

Author and former magazine columnist E. Jean Carroll has received the compensation awarded in her sexual abuse and defamation case against U.S. President Donald Trump.

A total of $5,625,005.48, including interest, has been transferred to her legal representatives, concluding the payment process following a jury verdict reached nearly three years ago.

The transfer of funds was confirmed in court documents on Tuesday (July 14), executed under the orders of Judge Lewis Kaplan.

Legal Maneuvering and Stalled Appeals
President Trump had previously attempted to elevate the case to the Supreme Court, but the nation's highest court declined to hear the appeal. He subsequently sought to stay the payment pending the resolution of a motion for reconsideration, a request that was also unsuccessful.

According to court filings, Carroll’s attorneys stated that she intends to save the funds for her retirement. However, the money will be held in an interest-bearing account until the final resolution of Trump's pending motions.

Despite the payment, the legal battle continues. On Friday, Trump’s attorneys filed a motion with the Federal Appeals Court seeking to stay the transfer, arguing that the funds should not have been released while the Supreme Court considers the reconsideration.

They also requested that the court order the funds be returned to a court-controlled account. The appeals court had already denied an emergency stay on the fund release, and a decision on this latest motion is still pending.

Background of the Case
E. Jean Carroll’s legal team confirmed that she will receive the full amount, stating that they will not deduct any legal fees from the compensation despite their fee-based agreement.

Attorney Roberta Kaplan issued a statement noting: "Three years ago, a unanimous nine-member jury found Trump liable for sexually assaulting E. Jean Carroll and subsequently defaming her. Today, she has received the compensation awarded based on that verdict."

Carroll was not the first woman to accuse Trump of sexual assault, but she was the first to take such allegations through a full trial. In her testimony, she recounted that Trump sexually assaulted her in a New York department store in the mid-1990s.

While Trump did not attend the first trial, he publicly denied the allegations, famously claiming Carroll was "not his type" and accusing her of fabricating the story to sell books. The jury ruled these remarks defamatory and held him liable for sexual assault, initially ordering $5 million in damages.

Following a later CNN town hall where Trump mocked Carroll as "crazy" and dismissed the allegations as a "complete con job," Carroll added these comments to her 2019 defamation suit.

In a second trial, which Trump attended and briefly testified in, a jury determined that his 2019 remarks were also defamatory, awarding Carroll an additional $83 million in damages.

Trump is reportedly preparing to challenge this verdict as well, with plans to submit an appeal to the Supreme Court later this month regarding the defense of presidential immunity.
Source: CNN