Writer E. Jean Carroll has received payment of $5.625 million from President Trump in a civil case stemming from allegations of sexual abuse and defamation, concluding a three-year legal battle that reached the nation's highest court.
The payment follows a 2023 Manhattan federal jury verdict that found Trump liable for sexually abusing Carroll and defaming her. The original award of $5 million has grown to $5.625 million with the addition of three years' worth of interest accrued during Trump's appeals process.
"Three years ago, a unanimous nine-person jury found President Trump liable for sexually assaulting and defaming E. Jean Carroll," attorney Roberta Kaplan said in a statement to NPR. "Today, we are pleased to report that she has received the damages payment the jury awarded her as a result of that verdict."
The case originated from allegations Carroll made in her 2019 memoir, in which she accused Trump of sexually assaulting her in the dressing room of a Manhattan department store in 1996. Trump responded by denying the claim, stating he had never met Carroll, and characterizing her as a liar with ulterior motives. Those statements formed the basis of Carroll's defamation lawsuit.
Court records filed on Tuesday confirm that the money was paid to Carroll and her legal team following an order from U.S. District Judge Lewis A. Kaplan. The judge issued his directive last week after the Supreme Court declined to hear Trump's appeal of the verdict.
The White House directed inquiries to Trump's personal attorneys, who did not immediately respond to requests for comment on the payment.
A significantly larger financial obligation remains unresolved in the ongoing dispute between Carroll and Trump. Carroll secured an $83 million award in a separate defamation lawsuit, which Trump has appealed. Federal courts have thus far upheld that substantial judgment, though the appeals process continues.
The resolution of the initial $5 million award marks a significant milestone in a case that has spanned multiple years and tested the limits of presidential immunity in civil matters. The payment demonstrates the enforceability of jury verdicts even against sitting presidents, establishing important legal precedent for accountability in civil litigation.
