A federal judge ordered the release of US$5 million to New York writer E. Jean Carroll in her sexual-abuse lawsuit against Donald Trump, rejecting the president's request to delay the payout while he asks the Supreme Court to reconsider his appeal.
Judge Kaplan's Ruling
“It is time” for Trump to “pay the judgment,” U.S. District Judge Lewis Kaplan said Wednesday. Kaplan ordered the court clerk to release US$5 million plus interest that Trump deposited after the verdict in May 2023, to allow his appeal. Carroll’s lawyer has said the total amount is now US$5.77 million.
Less than an hour after Kaplan’s ruling, Trump filed a notice that he’ll ask the federal appeals court in Manhattan to review it, setting up yet another legal fight that could return to the Supreme Court.
Supreme Court Context
The Supreme Court on June 29 left intact a jury’s finding that Trump sexually abused Carroll in 1996 and defamed her in 2022 when he denied it. Trump on July 6 asked the justices to take the unusual step of reconsidering its rejection of his appeal. He argues that the appeal isn’t final until the justices decide on his request for reconsideration.
But in a written explanation of his decision posted late Wednesday, Kaplan said it was “highly unlikely” that the Supreme Court will change its mind, hear the case or vacate the verdict.
Trump's Arguments Rejected
Trump doesn’t face “irreparable harm,” the judge said. Even if all the events unfold in his favour, the president can simply sue Carroll for the return of the money, Kaplan said, adding that Trump has “been stalling this case for years.”
“A jury unanimously concluded that he sexually abused and defamed plaintiff and awarded her damages accordingly,” the judge said. “The judgment on that verdict has been upheld on appeal” and the Supreme Court decided “without dissent” to not hear his case.
The president’s lawyer had argued in a filing late Tuesday that releasing the money now would violate the terms of Trump’s and Carroll’s June 2023 agreement to allow the court to hold the money while Trump appealed.
Financial Impact
Trump, who has a net worth of US$7.7 billion according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index, argued he would face “irreparable harm” if the money were released because Carroll has indicated she will give it away. The president might be unable to get the money back if the Supreme Court reverses course and ultimately throws out the verdict, his lawyer said in the Tuesday filing.
The Supreme Court hasn’t decided yet whether to reconsider its decision. A spokesman for Trump’s legal team issued a statement that did not address the judge’s ruling, but called Carroll’s case a “hoax.”
Trump, 80, denies attacking Carroll and argues the civil trial in Manhattan was tainted by improper evidence, including the testimony of two other women who accused him of sexual assault that he denies.
