E. Jean Carroll’s lawyers blast Trump as he demands return of $5.6 million paid in sexual abuse and defamation case

E. Jean Carroll's legal team has hit back at Donald Trump's emergency injunction as part of a 'series of maneuvers trying to desperately forestall payments'.

In 2023, a New York federal jury rejected E Jean Carroll's claim that Donald Trump raped her in a dressing room of Bergdorf Goodman department store in Manhattan 1996 - a claim Trump has consistently denied.

However, the jury at the civil trial did find Trump liable for sexual abuse and defamation of the longtime advice columnist, awarding Carroll a total of $5 million.

Trump responded by claiming he had never met Carroll and calling the trial a 'witch hunt'.

Three years later, on July 9, 2026, the sum was released by a Manhattan federal court from a court-controlled escrow account - having accrued interest reaching $5.6 million.

It follows US District Judge Lewis Kaplan signing a two-page order directing the court clerk to immediately disburse the funds shortly after the US Supreme Court rejected Trump's final bid to review the trial verdict.

Trump’s attorneys launched an immediate notice of appeal to the 2nd US Circuit Court of Appeals in a desperate bid to freeze the transfer, but it was rejected and the funds left the account.

An emergency injunction is since being sought by Trump's legal team in a bid to force Carroll to return the payment.

And Carroll's legal team has since spoken out, filing a legal argument as to why his request should be denied, blasting Trump's 'series of maneuvers trying to desperately forestall payments'.

Donald Trump was found liable for sexual abuse and defamation (Alex Kent/Getty Images)

In legal filings shared on July 20, Carroll's lawyers condemned the POTUS as refusing to 'accept the reality that he had lost' the case, drawing on all his attempts to try and stop the payment going through and now reverse it too.

"Unclean hands"

The documents draw on Trump's 'failed' attempts to do so on July 8 when his 'emergency request for a stay' was denied by the Court.

"That should have been the end of this case," the documents continue. "But Defendant now demands yet another unprecedented remedy: an injunction pending appeal requiring Carroll to return the funds awarded to her by a jury in 2023 to the Court Registry Investment System (“CRIS”), in the hope that the Supreme Court reverses its denial of certiorari, grants review, and then rules in Defendant’s favor."

The lawyers deem the request 'extraordinary' and 'procedurally improper, substantively meritless, and yet another example of Defendant’s pattern of “slow-roll[ing] his defenses, asserting or inventing a new one each time his prior effort to delay the case fails"'.

The legal filing states: "The judgment here is final, the money has already been disbursed, and Carroll is entitled to keep it."

It also accuses Trump of coming before the court with 'unclean hands'.

Donald Trump's team has tried to stop and now reverse the payment (Alex Kent/Getty Images)

It accuses him of 'repeat[ing] his defamatory attacks against Carroll' which has a 'domino effect' subjecting Carroll to 'ongoing and prolific harassment' including seeing her receive 'a multitude of death threats'.

The lawyers resolve: "Further delay in this case would not only reward Defendant’s gamesmanship, but would also inflict substantial harm on Carroll, who is 82 years old and has waited a very long time to receive her award.

"[...] For the foregoing reasons, the motion should be denied. Carroll reserves the right to seek attorneys’ fees."

UNILAD has contacted the White House for comment.