A federal judge has ordered President Trump to pay E Jean Carroll $5 million, plus interest, after the Supreme Court rejected Trump's bid to dismiss the sexual abuse case. This decision comes after a Manhattan jury previously reached a verdict in the case, ordering Trump to pay Carroll $5 million. The jury's decision was based on the allegation that Trump sexually abused Carroll in the 1990s. Trump has consistently denied the allegations, referring to Carroll as a "whack job" who's "not my type."
E Jean Carroll first made the allegations in 2019, stating that Trump raped her in a Bergdorf Goodman dressing room. However, the jury ultimately decided that Carroll did not prove Trump raped her. Instead, the jury found that Trump sexually abused Carroll when he inserted his fingers into her vagina. This verdict led to the initial order for Trump to pay Carroll $5 million.
US District Judge Lewis Kaplan, who was appointed by President Clinton, ordered Trump to pay Carroll a total of $5.8 million on Wednesday. This order came after Trump's lawyers filed a late-night court filing, requesting that the judge hold off on ordering the payout until the Supreme Court responds to a request to reconsider its emergency application. Trump's lawyers argued that the money cannot be released to Carroll until the Supreme Court rejects the president's bid for reconsideration.
The Supreme Court's decision to reject Trump's initial appeal was made on June 29, and it is rare for the court to grant such requests after an initial denial. Despite this, Trump's lawyers have petitioned the Supreme Court for a rehearing of its denial. In a separate defamation case, Trump was ordered to pay Carroll $83.3 million in damages in January 2024.
The case has been ongoing for several years, with both parties presenting their arguments in court. The latest development in the case is the federal judge's order for Trump to pay Carroll $5.8 million. This decision marks a significant milestone in the case, which has garnered significant attention due to the high-profile nature of the individuals involved.
