More than three years after a New York jury found Donald Trump liable for sexually abusing and defaming writer E. Jean Carroll, one chapter of their years-long legal battle has finally come to a close.
Carroll has officially received more than $5.6 million, representing the original $5 million damages award plus accrued interest, after a federal court ordered the release of funds that had remained in escrow during Trump’s appeals. The transfer marks one of the most significant developments in one of the highest-profile civil cases involving a sitting U.S. president.
A Legal Battle Years in the Making
The case began after Carroll publicly alleged that Trump sexually assaulted her in a Manhattan department store dressing room in the mid-1990s, claims he repeatedly denied.
In 2023, a unanimous federal jury concluded that Trump was liable for sexual abuse and defamation, awarding Carroll $5 million in damages. Although the jury did not find Trump liable for rape under New York’s narrow legal definition, it found sufficient evidence that he had sexually abused Carroll and later defamed her through public statements denying her allegations. Trump has consistently maintained that Carroll’s allegations are false and has described the lawsuits as politically motivated.
The Supreme Court Declined to Intervene
The damages were held by the court while Trump’s legal team pursued multiple appeals.
Last month, the U.S. Supreme Court declined to hear Trump’s appeal, effectively allowing the judgment to stand. Following that decision, Judge Lewis Kaplan ordered that the money be released to Carroll.
Trump’s lawyers made one final attempt to halt the payment, arguing that the funds should remain frozen while they sought a rehearing before the Supreme Court. They also requested that, if the money had already been transferred, it should be returned to the court’s registry until further appeals concluded. The court declined to stop the payment.Â
What Carroll Plans to Do With the Money
According to court filings, Carroll intends to place the award in an interest-bearing retirement account while any remaining legal proceedings continue.
Her legal team stated that the money will remain preserved pending any further action by the Supreme Court on Trump’s rehearing request, although such requests are rarely granted.
The Larger Legal Picture
This payment resolves only one of Carroll’s successful civil lawsuits against Trump.
In a separate 2024 defamation case arising from additional statements Trump made about her, a jury awarded Carroll $83.3 million in damages. That much larger judgment is still being challenged through the appeals process.
Why This Case Matters
Regardless of political affiliation, the Carroll litigation has become one of the most consequential civil accountability cases involving a public figure in recent American history.
It illustrates that civil courts can provide a legal avenue for survivors seeking accountability, even decades after alleged abuse, particularly when legislatures create temporary legal windows allowing older claims to proceed. For Carroll, the payment represents the conclusion of one lengthy legal battle.
For Trump, it marks the first damages payment made in connection with Carroll’s lawsuits, even as his legal team continues to contest both the verdict and the broader implications of the case.
