A federal judge ordered the release of more than $5 million to E. Jean Carroll on Wednesday, rejecting President Donald Trump’s attempt to delay paying the former magazine columnist whom a jury found he sexually abused and defamed.
The ruling from federal Judge Lewis Kaplan came after Trump had asked him not to release the money until the Supreme Court decides whether it will reconsider his petition to challenge the jury’s finding. With accumulated interest, the total amount to be disbursed from the court registry is nearly $5.8 million.
Trump filed a notice with the court that he will appeal the decision to the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals.
A spokesman for Trump’s legal team said in a statement, “The American People stand with President Trump as they demand an immediate end to all of the Witch Hunts, including the Democrat-funded travesty of the Carroll Hoaxes. President Trump will keep winning against Liberal Lawfare, as he continues to focus on his mission to Make America Great Again.”
Trump’s attorneys previously argued that waiting until the Supreme Court rules on his motion for reconsideration would not harm Carroll but would cause “irreparable harm” to the president.
“Plaintiff faces only temporary delay, fully compensable by interest, unless judgment is overturned on appeal. That has been the status quo throughout the appellate process in this case, and it must remain so pending resolution of the petition for rehearing,” his lawyers wrote in the court filing.
“President Trump, however, faces unrecoverable loss: Plaintiff has repeatedly stated that she intends to give away all funds that she collects from him, and once those funds are distributed to third parties, they likely cannot be recovered,” they wrote.
Carroll’s lawyers asked the judge to release the cash after the Supreme Court denied Trump’s petition to challenge the jury’s verdict. Following that denial, Trump filed a motion with the Supreme Court for a rehearing.
The case involves one of two lawsuits Carroll brought against Trump. Trump has stated he will also ask the Supreme Court to review a separate jury award of $83 million to Carroll after finding that ‘he defamed’ her through statements made in 2022. He has until the end of the month to file that petition.