Former President Donald Trump vowed to appeal a verdict in which he was ordered to pay $83.3 million in damages to E. Jean Carroll, an advice columnist.
Carroll had accused Trump of sexually assaulting her in a fitting room in 1996, a claim he dismissed and labeled as a “hoax.” After she went public with the allegations in 2019, Trump made comments in which he questioned her credibility. Following a trial in Manhattan federal court, a jury ordered the former president to pay $65 million in punitive damages, $11 million for reputational damages and $7.3 million for emotional distress.
Trump reacted angrily to the verdict, describing it as “absolutely ridiculous.” He also claimed that he fully disagreed with the verdict and would appeal. He also attacked the “Biden Directed Witch Hunt,” describing the legal system as being out of control and being used as a political weapon. In addition, he lamented the loss of First Amendment rights in America, writing on social media, “This is not America.” The former president left the courtroom before the verdict was read.
Following the announcement of the verdict, Alina Habba, the lawyer for Trump, denounced the outcome. Speaking to the media, Habba claimed that Judge Lewis Kaplan had denied Trump and his team the chance to present their defense to the jury. Habba claimed that the judge had made decisions before the trial even started.
Prior to the verdict, a jury had previously found Trump liable for sexually assaulting Carroll and ordered him to pay $5 million in damages. The case focused on allegations that Trump had “forcibly and without consent” penetrated Carroll using his fingers. However, the jury did not find him liable for her claim of rape.
The case against Trump began after Carroll published allegations in 2019, which he denied.