Trump asks Supreme Court to toss $5 million E. Jean verdict
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Writer E. Jean Carroll leaves the courthouse in September 2024 in New York City. Photo: Alex Kent/Getty Images
President Trump on Monday petitioned the Supreme Court to review the $5 million civil verdict that found him liable for sexually abusing and defaming writer E. Jean Carroll.
The big picture: Trump has repeatedly fought the ruling, claiming that multiple lawsuits against him are politically motivated — but this marks the first time the case has made its way to the Supreme Court.
- A federal appeals court last year upheld the jury's verdict, confirming the president must pay Carroll in compensatory and punitive damages for defaming her in his statements.
- Her attorney told Axios in September that the court affirmed that "E. Jean Carroll was telling the truth, and that President Donald Trump was not."
Zoom in: "There were no eyewitnesses, no video evidence, and no police report or investigation," said the appeal filed Monday, which was reviewed by Axios.
- "Instead, Carroll waited more than 20 years to falsely accuse Donald Trump, who she politically opposes, until after he became the 45th president, when she could maximize political injury to him and profit for herself."
- The appeal has not yet appeared on the Supreme Court's public docket, and it remains unclear whether the justices will agree to hear the case.
Catch up quick: Carroll sued Trump twice, alleging that he sexually assaulted her in a New York department store in the mid-1990s.
- She first sued him in 2019 for defamation and filed a second suit in 2022 for punitive damages of psychological harm and damage to her reputation.
- A jury issued an $83.3 million judgement against Trump in the first case, and Carroll was awarded $5 million in the 2022 ruling.
What they're saying: "The American People stand with President Trump as they demand an immediate end to all of the Witch Hunts," a spokesperson for Trump's legal team said.
- "President Trump will keep winning against Liberal Lawfare, as he continues to focus on his mission to Make America Great Again."
- Attorneys and a spokesperson for Carroll did not immediately respond to Axios' Monday evening request for comment.
Go deeper: #MeToo's legacy lives on in the E. Jean Carroll verdict
