Federal Judge Orders Trump to Release $5.8 Million to E. Jean Carroll in Sexual Abuse and Defamation Case

Federal Judge Lewis A. Kaplan ordered Trump to release $5.8 million in damages to writer E. Jean Carroll on July 8, 2026, after the U.S. Supreme Court declined to hear Trump's appeal of the 2023 civil verdict finding him liable for sexual abuse and defamation. Trump immediately appealed the release order, though the funds remain in a court-controlled account.

Quick Facts

Federal judge ordered release of $5.8 million in damages
Jury found Trump liable for sexual abuse in 1996
Jury found Trump liable for defamation after Carroll's 2019 public disclosure
Supreme Court declined to hear Trump's appeal
Trump immediately appealed the order to release funds

A federal judge has ordered former President Donald Trump to release $5.8 million in damages to writer E. Jean Carroll following the U.S. Supreme Court's decision to let a 2023 civil verdict stand. Judge Lewis A. Kaplan issued the order on Wednesday, July 8, 2026, directing that the funds—comprising the original $5 million award plus accumulated interest—be released from a court-controlled account where Trump had deposited the money during the appeals process.

The verdict stemmed from a 2023 civil trial in which a New York jury found Trump liable for sexually abusing Carroll in a Bergdorf Goodman department store dressing room in Manhattan in the mid-1990s and subsequently defaming her. Carroll, now 82, first publicly disclosed the alleged assault in a 2019 memoir published while Trump was president. The jury determined that Trump's denials of knowing Carroll and his public statements characterizing her account as a hoax constituted defamation.

Trump has contested the judgment and immediately appealed Judge Kaplan's order to release the funds, filing an appeal to the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals to stop the payment. Trump's legal team argued that his opponents were using the legal system against him and characterized the cases as "witch hunts." Judge Kaplan criticized Trump for "years of litigation delays" and emphasized that it was time to enforce the judgment. The Supreme Court's recent refusal to hear Trump's appeal effectively removed legal obstacles to the payment.

This $5.8 million award is separate from a second defamation judgment against Trump. In January 2024, another Manhattan jury found Trump liable for additional defamation related to statements he made about Carroll during his presidency and awarded her approximately $83 million. Trump is also appealing that verdict, which a federal appeals court panel upheld last year.

Carroll stated through her lawyers that she intends to deposit the $5.8 million into an interest-bearing account to serve as retirement savings. The judge did not specify a timeline for when the funds would be transferred to Carroll, though Trump's continued legal challenges may further delay payment.

Topics

Politics White House and Trump Legal Business

#E. Jean Carroll #sexual assault #damages #lawsuit #federal judge #sexual abuse #Trump #defamation #appeal #civil verdict

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Why This Matters

This ruling represents a significant legal enforcement milestone in the Carroll v. Trump case, demonstrating that civil judgments can proceed despite extended appeals. For media and legal observers, it illustrates the limits of appellate delay tactics and the Supreme Court's willingness to let lower court verdicts stand on high-profile defamation cases. For the public, it reflects ongoing accountability mechanisms in U.S. civil litigation and raises questions about payment enforcement timelines in politically contentious cases.

Timeline & Sources

Jan 1, 2019

Wire

E. Jean Carroll publicly disclosed the alleged assault in a memoir while Trump was president