Judge orders release of $5.8 million judgment to E. Jean Carroll
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A Manhattan federal judge ordered that the $5.8 million escrowed judgment against former President Donald Trump be paid to writer E. Jean Carroll after appellate courts rejected his attempts to block the payment.
U.S. District Judge Lewis Kaplan in Manhattan ruled that the $5.8 million held in escrow for E. Jean Carroll should be released, concluding that former President Donald Trump had been delaying the case for years. The judgment stems from a 2023 jury verdict that found Trump liable for sexual assault and defamation, awarding $2 million for the assault and $3 million for defamatory statements, plus $800,000 in accrued interest.
The Supreme Court declined to review Trump’s appeal of the original verdict, and a federal appeals court later denied his request to halt the payment. Carroll’s attorneys argued that she had waited more than three years for the judgment to be satisfied and urged that the case be concluded.
Trump’s legal team indicated they will continue to pursue appeals, describing the verdict as part of a political conspiracy. A spokesperson said, "The American people stand with President Trump as they demand an immediate end to all of the Witch Hunts, including the Democrat-funded travesty of the Carroll Hoaxes."
Separately, Trump is also contesting an $83.3 million defamation verdict awarded to Carroll by another Manhattan jury in 2024.