Bout time. Now let’s see if he cuts the check. A federal judge has cleared the way for E. Jean Carroll to collect nearly $5.8 million from President Donald Trump after a jury’s civil verdict found him liable for sexually abusing her and defaming her when he publicly denied her allegations.
U.S. District Judge Lewis A. Kaplan ordered the release of the funds, which include Carroll’s $5 million award from the 2023 trial plus approximately $800,000 in interest. Trump previously placed $5.55 million into a court registry investment system in June 2023 while he pursued appeals, allowing the money to remain secured with interest accumulating during the legal process.
The payout follows the U.S. Supreme Court’s refusal to take up Trump’s appeal, leaving the jury’s findings and damages award intact.
The case centered on Carroll’s allegation that Trump sexually assaulted her in a dressing room at a luxury Manhattan department store in the mid-1990s. After hearing testimony and reviewing evidence, a federal jury found Trump liable for sexual abuse and for defamation based on statements he made publicly denying the accusation and attacking Carroll’s account.
The verdict means Trump was civilly adjudicated liable for those actions. In a civil case, a jury determines whether a defendant is legally responsible for causing harm and may award monetary damages. It does not result in a criminal conviction, because civil trials do not determine criminal guilt or impose criminal penalties such as imprisonment.
The finding remains a significant legal determination because the jury concluded that Carroll’s claims were supported by the evidence presented at trial. The court’s judgment established Trump’s civil liability for sexual abuse and defamation, while the separate legal standards of criminal prosecution do not apply.
Carroll’s payment only covers the 2023 judgment. A separate 2024 federal trial resulted in another jury ordering Trump to pay Carroll $83.3 million for additional defamatory statements he made while serving as president. That award remains under appeal and is secured through a separate bond.
The case has also renewed attention around the difference between civil findings of liability and other legal classifications, including civil commitment proceedings used in some states for individuals deemed a continuing danger after completing criminal sentences. Those proceedings are separate from civil lawsuits and focus on public safety and treatment rather than damages.
