Trump loses $5m appeal in E. Jean Carroll case, defamation battle continues

A federal appeals court has upheld a $5 million judgment against Donald Trump, siding with E. Jean Carroll in her case accusing the former president of sexual assault and defamation.

The ruling by a three-judge panel of the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Manhattan reaffirms the May 2023 verdict in which a jury found Trump liable for sexually abusing and later defaming the former Elle magazine columnist.

The case stems from an incident Carroll alleges occurred around 1996 in a dressing room at Bergdorf Goodman in Manhattan, where she says Trump sexually assaulted her. While the jury did not conclude that Trump committed rape, they awarded Carroll $2.02 million for sexual assault and an additional $2.98 million for defamation over an October 2022 Truth Social post where Trump dismissed her claims as a “hoax.”

Trump has consistently denied knowing Carroll, claiming she was “not my type” and accusing her of fabricating the allegations to boost her memoir’s sales. His lawyers have vowed to appeal the ruling.

The verdict is just one of two significant legal defeats for Trump related to Carroll. In January, another jury ordered him to pay $83.3 million in damages for defamation, stemming from a 2019 statement where he first denied the alleged assault. Trump is appealing this judgment as well.

Trump’s defense team argued that the $5 million verdict should be overturned, contending that the trial judge, U.S. District Judge Lewis Kaplan, allowed improper evidence. They criticized the inclusion of testimony from Jessica Leeds and Natasha Stoynoff, two women who accused Trump of prior sexual misconduct, as well as the showing of a 2005 “Access Hollywood” tape in which Trump is heard boasting about his behavior toward women.

Carroll’s cases continue despite Trump recently securing a second term as U.S. President. The legal proceedings highlight a precedent set in 1997 by the U.S. Supreme Court, which ruled that sitting presidents are not immune from civil litigation over actions unrelated to their official duties.

The appeals court decision reinforces the legal challenges Trump faces as he juggles political responsibilities with ongoing litigation over his past conduct.