In a significant legal development, a federal jury has ruled that former President Donald Trump must pay more than $83 million in damages to E. Jean Carroll. The decision comes after Trump denied allegations of raping Carroll in the 1990s.
The federal jury, presided over by Judge Lewis A. Kaplan, announced its verdict on Friday, stating that Trump is obligated to pay $18.3 million in compensatory damages and an additional $65 million in punitive damages. Last year, a different jury in New York City had found Trump not liable for rape but held him responsible for sexual abuse and defamation, ordering him to pay $5 million.
E. Jean Carroll, who claimed Trump raped her at Bergdorf Goodman in 1996, sought $12 million in damages. She filed a defamation lawsuit against Trump, asserting that his public denial had damaged her reputation.
During the trial, Trump briefly took the stand. When asked about his deposition, he affirmed seeing it and standing by his statements “100 percent.” He denied ever threatening Carroll in his tweets and social media posts, stating he was only defending himself against what he believed to be a false accusation.
Trump, both in and out of the courtroom, expressed dissatisfaction with the proceedings. He insisted that Carroll’s allegations were fabricated, claiming that the trial was one-sided and that he was being denied due process. Trump posted on his Truth Social account, accusing Judge Kaplan of refusing to allow key evidence that he believed would exonerate him.
Trump’s Social Media Posts and Allegations of Extortion
On his Truth Social account, Trump posted images of Carroll’s tweets dating back to 2015, attempting to cast doubt on her credibility. He accused Carroll of being coached by a “Lunatic Radical Left Democrat operative attorney” and asserted that he was the one who had been injured by an attempted extortion.
In the midst of these legal battles, Trump, the frontrunner for the 2024 GOP nomination, continues to adamantly deny the allegations and express frustration with the legal process.
