What E. Jean Carroll sued Trump for the first time as he demands return of $5.6 million payout
E. Jean Carroll's 2023 civil court case against US president Trump is getting renewed attention as the POTUS was finally forced to pay her $5.6 million in damages - which he is currently attempting to claw back.
Three years ago, a jury in a civil trial found Trump liable after Carroll, a former writer for Elle magazine, claimed that Trump had sexually assaulted her in a department store dressing room in the 1990s. The jury did not find Trump liable for rape, and he has always denied any wrongdoing.
Because it was a civil trial, the standard of proof was lower than in a criminal trial, with the jury asked to consider if it is more likely than not that claims are true.
Carroll first went public with her allegations against Trump in a 2019 memoir, during Trump's first presidency.
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She said he had assaulted her in a dressing room in Bergdorf Goodman, a high-end department store, in either 1995 or 1996. She claims he forced himself on her, before she pushed him off and fled the store.
Trump accused Carroll of lying, telling The Hill in 2019: "I’ll say it with great respect: Number one, she’s not my type. Number two, it never happened."
This led to her launching her successful defamation suit against him.
"Decades ago, the now President of the United States raped me," she wrote after she filed the suit.
"When I had the courage to speak out about the attack, he defamed my character, accused me of lying for personal gain, even insulted my appearance.
"No woman should have to face this."
She added: "But this lawsuit is not only about me. I am filing this on behalf of every woman who has ever been harassed, assaulted, silenced, or spoken up only to be shamed, fired, ridiculed and belittled."
At the trial, two of Carroll's friends were called as witnesses, who testified that she told them about the alleged attack shortly afterwards.
She said in court, as reported by the Associated Press: "I always think back to why I walked in there to get myself in that situation, but I’m proud to say I did get out."
But Trump's legal team alleged she'd fabricated the incident, basing it on an episode of Law & Order.
After deliberating for less than three hours, the jury found Trump civilly liable of sexual abuse and defamation, and his legal team have been attempting to overturn the ruling ever since.
The funds were dispersed to Carroll on July 9 from a court-controlled escrow account, but Trump has launched a new legal bid in an effort to get the money back.
Lawyers representing Trump are now seeking an emergency injunction.
The president's legal team are hoping that the Supreme Court could reverse the judgment, resulting in the money being returned to him.
Carroll's lawyers have strongly condemned the attempt, writing in legal filings on Monday: "Rather than accept the reality that he had lost, [Trump] has engaged in a series of maneuvers trying desperately to forestall payment."
They added the payment to Carroll 'should have been the end of this case.'
“But Defendant now demands yet another unprecedented remedy," they added. "The judgment here is final, the money has already been disbursed, and Carroll is entitled to keep it.”
On June 30 Trump wrote on Truth Social that he will 'continue the fight against this Weaponization and Lawfare Case against me, including the ridiculous claim of Defamation, with all of my power and strength'.
He added: “This Case is really against the United States of America, and all it stands for, and should never be allowed to happen to another President, or Candidate to be!”
The president has denied Carroll's claims on multiple occasions, saying that he has 'never met' Carroll and slamming the case as 'fake', as well as calling the claims a 'con job' and a 'hoax'.
In 2024, a separate jury also ordered Trump to pay Carroll an additional $83 million in defamation damages.
New York District Judge Lewis Kaplan ordered the beginning of payments from the escrow account, a special account where a third party holds funds while two parties resolve negotiations or legal disputes, after the Supreme Court rejected Trump's appeal, with Carroll receiving a payment of $5,625,005.48.
UNILAD has approached the White House and lawyers representing Donald Trump for comment.
Topics: US News, Donald Trump, Court
Kit Roberts