A federal judge has ordered President Donald Trump to pay $5.8 million to writer E. Jean Carroll, rejecting his last-minute attempt to delay the payment from a 2023 civil verdict that found him liable for sexual abuse and defamation.
Judge Rejects Trump's Plea
Judge Lewis Kaplan of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York ordered the release of the funds on Wednesday. Trump's attorneys had argued that the money could not be paid until the Supreme Court ruled on a new, long-shot bid for reconsideration of its earlier denial to hear Trump's appeal.
The Supreme Court had already rejected Trump's attempt to block the payout on June 29, declining to hear his appeal. Despite that, Trump's lawyers petitioned for a rehearing, according to court filings.
Details of the Payment
Lawyers for Carroll say she will receive approximately $5.8 million, including accrued interest. Trump's lawyers had claimed in their plea that the payment would cause “unrecoverable loss” because Carroll has stated she plans to donate all the funds she collects.
Carroll, 82, first accused Trump in 2019 of raping her in a Manhattan department store dressing room in the mid-1990s. Trump has repeatedly denied the allegation, falsely claiming he never met her.
Background of the Lawsuits
Carroll sued Trump twice. The first trial in 2023 found him liable for sexual abuse and defamation, awarding her $5 million. The second trial in January 2024 found him liable for defamation again, with an $83.3 million verdict.
