Judge Orders Trump To Pay Carroll $5M for Assault, Defamation
A U.S. federal judge has ordered that writer E. Jean Carroll may immediately collect approximately $5.8 million from President Donald Trump, following the conclusion of the appeals process in one of the most high-profile civil cases involving sexual abuse and defamation in recent U.S. history. The amount includes the original $5 million awarded by a Manhattan jury in 2023, plus accrued interest that accumulated while the judgment remained under appeal.
The ruling was issued by U.S. District Judge Lewis Kaplan, who authorized the release of money that had been placed into a court-controlled escrow account during Trump’s appeal. The judge determined that the conditions for releasing the funds had been met after the U.S. Supreme Court declined to hear Trump’s appeal, effectively leaving the jury’s verdict intact. With the appeal exhausted, Carroll became legally entitled to receive the damages awarded by the court.
The case originated from allegations made by Carroll, a longtime magazine columnist and author, who accused Trump of sexually assaulting her inside a Manhattan department store during the mid-1990s. Trump consistently denied the accusation, stating that he did not know Carroll and claiming the allegation was fabricated for political and financial reasons. Carroll later sued Trump for defamation after he publicly denied her claims and attacked her credibility. She subsequently filed a second lawsuit under New York’s Adult Survivors Act, which temporarily allowed survivors of older sexual abuse claims to pursue civil lawsuits even after the normal statute of limitations had expired.
In May 2023, a federal jury found Trump liable for sexually abusing and defaming Carroll. Although the jury did not find him liable for rape under New York’s narrow statutory definition at the time, it concluded that he had sexually abused Carroll and had later defamed her through his public statements denying the incident. The jury awarded Carroll $5 million in damages, consisting of compensation for both the sexual abuse and the reputational harm caused by the defamatory remarks.
Trump appealed the verdict, arguing that legal errors occurred during the trial and that the evidence did not support the jury’s conclusions. While the appeal was pending, he deposited the judgment amount into escrow to secure payment if the verdict was ultimately upheld. After the federal appeals court affirmed the verdict and the Supreme Court declined to review the case, Carroll asked Judge Kaplan to authorize the immediate release of the funds. The judge granted that request, finding no legal basis to continue withholding the money.
Trump’s attorneys opposed the release, arguing that he intended to seek a rehearing before the Supreme Court and warning that distributing the funds immediately could cause “irreparable harm.” They contended that recovering the money later could prove difficult if the judgment were somehow overturned in future proceedings. Carroll’s legal team responded that all conditions governing the escrow agreement had been satisfied and that Trump had already exhausted the normal appellate process. Judge Kaplan agreed with Carroll’s position, allowing payment to proceed despite Trump’s objections.
The financial award has grown to roughly $5.8 million because interest accrued while the case remained on appeal. However, this payment represents only one portion of Trump’s legal liability to Carroll. In a separate 2024 defamation trial involving additional statements Trump made after the first verdict, another jury ordered him to pay $83.3 million in damages. Trump continues to challenge that separate judgment through the appellate courts.
The ruling represents another significant legal setback for Trump, whose legal team has pursued multiple appeals aimed at overturning the jury’s findings. Although the release of funds does not create a new judgment, it marks the enforcement of an existing verdict after appellate review concluded. The decision also demonstrates how civil judgments can be enforced once higher courts decline further review, even when additional legal motions remain possible.
More broadly, the case has become one of the most closely watched civil lawsuits involving a current U.S. president. It underscores the legal distinction between criminal and civil proceedings, where liability is determined under a “preponderance of the evidence” standard rather than the higher “beyond a reasonable doubt” standard used in criminal prosecutions. The ruling also highlights the ability of survivors to pursue civil remedies through laws such as New York’s Adult Survivors Act and reinforces the principle that public statements can expose individuals to substantial defamation liability. As the separate $83.3 million judgment remains under appeal, litigation between Trump and Carroll is expected to continue, but the $5 million award has now entered the enforcement stage.
Key Legal Outcomes
- A federal judge authorized the release of approximately $5.8 million to E. Jean Carroll, including the original $5 million judgment plus accrued interest.
- The payment follows the U.S. Supreme Court’s refusal to hear Trump’s appeal, allowing the 2023 verdict to stand.
- Judge Lewis Kaplan ruled that Carroll was entitled to collect the funds held in escrow.
- Trump’s request to delay payment while seeking a Supreme Court rehearing was rejected.
- Trump continues to appeal a separate $83.3 million defamation judgment awarded to Carroll in 2024.
Why It Matters
- The ruling moves the 2023 civil judgment from appeal to enforcement.
- It demonstrates how civil damages can be collected once appellate options are exhausted.
- The case reinforces accountability for sexual abuse and defamation findings in civil court.
- It highlights the legal impact of New York’s Adult Survivors Act on historic abuse claims.
- The decision remains one of the most significant civil judgments involving a sitting U.S. president.
