On Monday, a federal appeals court in New York rejected President-elect Donald Trump’s appeal, ordering him to pay $5 million to advice columnist E. Jean Carroll.
The Hill reported that a three-judge panel on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit concluded Trump did not sufficiently show any claimed errors affected his rights or warranted a new trial.
“On review for abuse of discretion, we conclude that Mr. Trump has not demonstrated that the district court erred in any of the challenged rulings,” the panel wrote in its unsigned opinion.
Trump requested a new trial over allegations that the jury heard improper testimony and Trump was wrongly precluded from asking Carroll certain questions during cross-examination.
Last year, a federal jury ruled that while Trump wasn’t liable for rape, he was found guilty of sexual abuse and defamation against Carroll. This resulted in a $5 million judgment against him. Carroll has since pursued further legal action, claiming Trump’s comments damaged her reputation.
Carroll, a former columnist for Elle, accused Trump of assaulting her in the 1990s. Trump denied the claims, calling her allegations a “hoax” and saying she wasn’t “his type.” After she went public, Carroll sued Trump for defamation. Initially, the Department of Justice under Bill Barr tried to shield Trump by arguing his comments were made in his official role as president, but that attempt was struck down, allowing the case to move forward.
In 2022, New York’s Adult Survivors Act reopened the door for Carroll to file a new civil lawsuit against Trump for sexual battery and defamation, even after the statute of limitations had passed. A jury ruled in her favor, holding Trump liable for sexual abuse and defamation, and awarding her $5 million in damages.
Steven Cheung, a Trump spokesperson likely to become his White House communications director, said in a statement that Trump will continue to appeal the verdict.
“The American People have re-elected President Trump with an overwhelming mandate, and they demand an immediate end to the political weaponization of our justice system and a swift dismissal of all of the Witch Hunts, including the Democrat-funded Carroll Hoax, which will continue to be appealed,” Cheung said in a statement.
“We look forward to uniting our country in the new administration as President Trump makes America great again,” he added.
In a separate case, a jury ordered Trump to pay $83.3 million in defamation damages for continuing to deny her story.
Unlike many other court cases brought against Trump that have ended since he was re-elected to the presidency, Carroll’s cases continue, with the $83.3 million defamation appeal still looming.
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Hey, I’ve had people say I’m lying. Can I sue them for $88M too? Such a farce!