Judge Orders Release of $5.8M to E. Jean Carroll; Trump Appeals

A federal judge has ordered the release of $5.8 million to writer E. Jean Carroll, fulfilling a 2023 jury verdict that found President Donald Trump liable for sexual abuse and defamation. The funds, held in escrow during Trump’s appeals, must now be paid after the U.S. Supreme Court declined to hear his case on June 29. Source: AP News Judge Lewis Kaplan rejected Trump’s bid to delay payment pending a rare petition for rehearing, writing that “it is time for him to ‘do equity’ and pay the judgment.” Source: DW News Trump’s attorneys immediately appealed the order, arguing that releasing the money would cause irreparable harm because Carroll has stated she intends to donate it. Source: CNBC Carroll’s lawyers countered that “she should not have to wait any longer.” Source: BBC The case stems from Carroll’s 2019 memoir alleging Trump assaulted her in a Manhattan department store in the mid-1990s. A jury later found Trump liable, awarding $2 million for sexual abuse and $3 million for defamation, plus interest. Source: SCMP Trump continues to deny the allegations and has also appealed a separate $83.3 million defamation verdict from 2024. Source: Al Jazeera A spokesperson for Trump’s legal team called the case a “Democrat-funded travesty of the Carroll Hoaxes.” Source: CNN