A federal court just told Donald Trump his time is up in a years-long legal battle. The president lost his latest attempt to delay paying E. Jean Carroll millions in damages from a sexual abuse and defamation verdict.
E. Jean Carroll’s verdict against Donald Trump is now moving from appeal to payment
A federal appeals court in New York on Wednesday denied President Donald Trump’s attempt to prevent E. Jean Carroll from collecting damages, CNBC reported. The 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals rejected Trump’s emergency request for a stay. Carroll can now access nearly $5.8 million from funds Trump placed with the court.
The decision came after Manhattan federal Judge Lewis Kaplan issued an earlier order that day. He approved Carroll’s request to receive money Trump deposited three years prior. Those funds covered a May 2023 jury verdict finding Trump civilly liable for sexual abuse and defamation.
Attorneys for Trump contended that Carroll should not yet receive any payment. They maintained that Supreme Court proceedings were still ongoing. However, the Supreme Court had already denied Trump’s appeal petition on June 29 without dissent.
Judge Kaplan rejected those arguments in his written explanation of the ruling. He stated that releasing the funds would not inflict irreparable harm on Trump. He further noted that Trump had delayed the case for an extended period.
Kaplan also stressed that the legal process had reached its conclusion. He pointed out that a unanimous jury found Trump liable for sexually abusing and defaming Carroll. He declared it was time for Trump to satisfy the judgment against him.
Carroll’s attorney Roberta Kaplan described the situation as having reached its final stage in a filing. She argued that forcing Carroll to wait longer would be deeply unjust and contrary to the public interest. A representative for Trump’s legal team labeled the lawsuit a politically motivated attack and pledged continued legal resistance.
