NEW YORK — A federal appeals court has affirmed a $5 million civil judgment against President-elect Donald Trump awarded to writer E. Jean Carroll. The jury had previously found Trump liable for sexually abusing Carroll in the 1990s and subsequently defaming her after she publicly came forward with her accusations.
Despite Trump’s denial of these allegations and his argument on appeal that the verdict was excessive, the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals maintained that the evidence and court proceedings were justly handled, dismissing Trump’s request for a reversal of the decision.
“We conclude that Mr. Trump has not demonstrated that the district court erred in any of the challenged rulings. Further, he has not carried his burden to show that any claimed error or combination of claimed errors affected his substantial rights as required to warrant a new trial,” the appellate court stated in their ruling.
In response to the court’s decision, Trump spokesperson Steven Cheung stated, “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.”
Carroll’s lawyer, Roberta Kaplan, expressed satisfaction with the court’s decision, emphasizing the comprehensive review given to the parties’ arguments by the Second Circuit.
Carroll herself reacted to the news by thanking her attorney on social media, linking to a news article about the ruling with a caption that read, “Thank you, Robbie Kaplan!”
The lawsuit highlighted that Trump allegedly sexually assaulted Carroll in a Manhattan department store dressing room in 1996. It also covered claims that Trump defamed her by labeling her allegations as a “hoax” and a “con job” following his presidency in 2021.
During the initial trial, Trump elected not to testify or present a defense. He focused his appeal on purported critical errors made by U.S. District Judge Lewis Kaplan, including the admission of testimony from two other women who claimed to have been sexually mistreated by Trump.
Jessica Leeds testified that Trump groped her on a flight to New York in the late 1970s, and Natasha Stoynoff stated that Trump forcibly kissed her at his Mar-a-Lago resort in 2005. Both instances were vehemently denied by Trump.
Additionally, Trump’s attorneys argued against the inclusion of the infamous “Access Hollywood” tape in the trial, where Trump was recorded saying that fame allows him to grope women without consent. The appeals court, however, ruled that the evidence was pertinent as it demonstrated a potential pattern of behavior relevant to Carroll’s claims.
Moreover, Trump is appealing another significant legal battle—a separate $83 million defamation judgment stemming from comments he made about Carroll while in office and after the initial $5 million verdict. This earlier lawsuit hit a snag while Trump argued his remarks were protected under presidential immunity, a claim ultimately dismissed by the court.
Trump’s legal team plans to continue challenging the $83 million judgment at the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals as well.
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