Trump’s $92M Bond Approved by Judge in E. Jean Carroll Defamation Case

New York, NY – Former President Donald Trump has obtained a $92 million bond to cover the jury award in the defamation case brought by writer E. Jean Carroll. The bond was approved by Judge Lewis A. Kaplan on Tuesday, following a consensus among lawyers that there was no dispute over it.

Trump’s attorneys recently announced their intention to appeal the court verdict to the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Manhattan. The bond offered by Trump, who is considered a leading contender for the Republican presidential nomination in 2024, comes in response to an $83.3 million jury award granted to Carroll. The award was the result of a defamation trial in January, which involved rape allegations she had made against Trump.

Despite his appeal, Trump had refrained from publicly discussing Carroll until a recent campaign rally. At the rally, he resumed questioning the credibility of the advice columnist and asserted that she had falsely accused him of rape in 1996. Carroll’s lawyer responded by suggesting the possibility of a third defamation lawsuit if Trump continues to discredit her claims.

The original trial had concluded that Trump defamed Carroll in 2022 and committed sexual abuse against her in 1996, although the jury did not find him guilty of rape as defined under New York state law. Judge Kaplan stated that the jury’s findings were in line with the definition of rape in certain jurisdictions.

During the initial trial, Trump had chosen not to testify, and his participation in January was limited to a few minutes as he was not permitted to challenge the previous jury’s conclusions. Carroll initially made her accusations against Trump public in a memoir published in 2019.

In addition to the defamation case, Trump is currently facing a separate civil fraud penalty of $454 million as ruled by a New York state judge. He is also involved in four criminal cases.