Judge orders release of $5.8M in damages to E. Jean Carroll from Trump

A Manhattan federal judge ordered the release of funds totaling approximately $5.8 million to writer E. Jean Carroll, marking a significant development in long-standing litigation against Donald Trump. The order, issued by U.S. District Judge Lewis A. Kaplan, authorizes the disbursement of a jury-awarded judgment plus accrued interest that has been held in a court-controlled escrow account since the conclusion of a 2023 civil trial.

The case stems from a jury finding that Trump sexually abused Carroll in the dressing room of a Manhattan department store in the mid-1990s and subsequently defamed her by characterizing her allegations as a "con job" and a hoax. While the initial award set by the jury was $5 million, the total has increased to roughly $5.8 million due to interest that accumulated while the case moved through the appellate process.

Media additions

The funds were placed into the court’s Registry Investment System (CRIS) in 2023 under a stipulation that allowed the money to be held as a security measure while Trump challenged the verdict. Following the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision on 29 June not to hear an appeal of the case, lawyers for Carroll moved for the immediate release of the funds. Trump’s legal team had sought to block the payout, arguing that they intended to petition the Supreme Court for a rehearing of its denial. Attorneys for the president further alleged that an "unrecoverable loss" could occur if the money were disbursed, as Carroll has previously stated her intention to donate the funds to third parties.

In a court filing, Roberta Kaplan, representing the plaintiff, argued that the time for delay had concluded. After four years of litigation across every level of the federal court system, it is time for this case to end, she wrote, via The Guardian.

Following the judge’s order, a spokesman for the president’s legal team stated:

"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. President Trump will keep winning against Liberal Lawfare, as he continues to focus on his mission to Make America Great Again."

Spokesman for Donald Trump's legal team, via BBC

Trump’s legal counsel filed paperwork to appeal the judge’s order less than an hour after it was issued. According to reporting from The Guardian, the Supreme Court rarely grants petitions for rehearing, and legal observers indicate that a stay from the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals is considered an unlikely outcome.

This payout is distinct from a separate 2024 judgment in which a different Manhattan jury awarded Carroll $83.3 million for additional defamatory statements made by Trump while he was president. In that instance, the president secured a bond rather than placing funds into the CRIS system. That separate case remains subject to ongoing litigation.

Status of Civil Judgments

The litigation has been characterized by sharp disagreements over procedural rules. During the 2024 damages trial, Trump’s defense team complained that Judge Kaplan barred them from arguing to the jury that the encounter in the 1990s never occurred. Conversely, the president has repeatedly claimed that the judge improperly influenced jury perceptions through his management of evidence. A federal appeals court previously reviewed these claims and determined that no errors were made that would necessitate a new trial.