The United States Supreme Court declined President Donald Trump’s appeal of a $5 million US verdict in favor of E. Jean Carroll on Monday. This marks the second time the court has rejected Trump’s appeal after a jury found him liable for sexually abusing and defaming the former magazine columnist. Trump’s lawyers argued that the trial was unfair, but the court’s order, which was unsigned and provided no explanation, stood firm.
Separately, the justices are also considering Trump’s appeal of an $83.3 million US jury verdict for defaming Carroll in 2019 during his presidency. Trump’s legal team contends that presidential immunity shields him from Carroll’s claims and disagrees with lower courts’ decisions on this matter.
The legal battle between Trump and Carroll began when she alleged in her memoir that Trump had raped her in the 1990s. Trump has consistently denied these claims and labeled them as lies. The $5 million US verdict stemmed from Trump’s statements in 2022, where he called Carroll’s claim a “hoax” and a “con job” on social media. Although the jury found Trump guilty of sexually abusing and defaming Carroll, they did not conclude that he raped her as she had claimed.
Following the Supreme Court’s denial of Trump’s appeal in June, Carroll received nearly $5.63 million US from him, representing the original civil verdict plus interest. Trump’s request for rehearing emphasized the issue of presidential immunity, which could impact both the $83.3 million US verdict and the 2023 verdict. The Supreme Court’s 2024 decision on former presidents’ immunity from criminal prosecution does not directly apply to the civil lawsuits involving Carroll.