Supreme Court Declines To Hear Trump Appeal In E. Jean Carroll Case
The Supreme Court on Monday declined to hear President Trump‘s appeal of the $5 million sexual abuse and defamation judgment stemming from the lawsuit brought by former advice columnist E. Jean Carroll.
The decision leaves intact the verdict issued by a Manhattan federal jury in 2023, which found Trump liable for sexual abuse and defamation and awarded Carroll $5 million in damages.
Carroll alleged that Trump sexually assaulted her in a dressing room at Bergdorf Goodman during the mid-1990s before later defaming her by publicly denying her allegations.
Trump has consistently denied Carroll’s claims and argued throughout the legal battle that the accusations were false and politically motivated.
In filings before the Supreme Court, Trump’s attorneys contended that forcing a sitting president to continue litigating decades-old allegations interfered with the duties of the presidency.
“It is deeply damaging to the fabric of our republic for President Trump, in the midst of a historic presidency, to have to take his focus away from his singular and unique duties as chief executive to continue fighting against decades-old, false allegations,” Trump’s lawyers argued.
As is customary, the Supreme Court did not provide an explanation for its decision not to hear the appeal.
The original lawsuit centered on statements Trump made after Carroll publicly accused him of assault, including remarks in which he denied the allegations, claimed she was not his type and suggested she fabricated the story to promote book sales.
Those comments ultimately formed the basis for the defamation portion of the case.
Following the initial verdict, Carroll filed a second defamation lawsuit after additional comments from Trump regarding her claims.
That case resulted in a separate jury awarding Carroll $83.3 million in damages in early 2024, including punitive damages and compensation for reputational harm and emotional distress.
Trump is continuing to challenge that larger judgment through the appeals process in lower courts.