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The sitting president of the United States has been found liable for sexually abusing a woman. It took three years, repeated appeals, and a Supreme Court that declined to intervene, but E. Jean Carroll finally received the millions Donald Trump owed her.
The journalist, who is 82, received $5,625,005.48 on July 9, court records confirm — the $5 million a unanimous nine-person jury awarded her in May 2023, plus three years of post-judgment interest that accumulated while Trump fought the verdict at every level of the court system, per CNBC.
The funds had been held in escrow during the appeals process and were released after Trump's request to delay the payment further was denied.
Carroll's attorney, Roberta Kaplan, confirmed the payment in a statement.
"Three years ago, a unanimous nine-person jury found President Trump liable for sexually assaulting and defaming E. Jean Carroll," she said. "Today, we are pleased to report that she has received the damages payment the jury awarded her as a result of that verdict."
Carroll herself marked the moment on social media with four words: "The eagle has landed."
Carroll publicly accused Trump in her 2019 memoir, alleging he sexually assaulted her in a Bergdorf Goodman department store dressing room in New York City in the mid-1990s. Trump denied the allegations, said he had never met her, and publicly called her a liar — prompting her to file two civil lawsuits.
The first went to trial in 2023, resulting in a unanimous nine-person jury finding Trump liable for sexual abuse and defamation and awarding Carroll $5 million. The jury did not find Trump liable for rape under New York's then-applicable statutory definition, but federal Judge Lewis Kaplan later wrote that its sexual-abuse finding was "consistent with the common understanding of rape.”
On June 29, the Supreme Court declined to hear Trump's appeal, leaving the verdict in place. Judge Kaplan subsequently rejected Trump's final effort to keep the escrowed money from being released. His ruling was direct.
"Defendant has been stalling this case for years," Kaplan wrote in his ruling. "A jury unanimously concluded that he sexually abused and defamed plaintiff and awarded her damages accordingly. The judgment on that verdict has been upheld on appeal."
He added: "It is time" for Trump to "pay the judgment."
Trump continues to deny the assault occurred. A spokesperson said in a statement that "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.”
On Truth Social, Trump called the verdict "shocking to the entire World" and vowed to "continue the fight."
Separately, the Justice Department has opened an investigation into American Future Republic, a group connected to billionaire Reid Hoffman that helped fund some of Carroll’s legal expenses, according to Reuters.
The investigation, being handled by the U.S. Attorney's Office in Chicago, concerns potential money laundering and obstruction connected to the funding.
Carroll is not a focus of the investigation, and the office has said it has not opened a criminal investigation into her. Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche, who previously represented Trump in Carroll-related appeals, has recused himself from the matter.
Carroll's second civil trial, which resulted in an $83.3 million defamation judgment against Trump in January 2024, remains under appeal. With post-judgment interest, the $83.3 million judgment has grown to more than $100 million, according to CNN.
If you or someone you know has been sexually assaulted, contact the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673) or visit rainn.org.
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