Former US President Donald Trump was found liable by a federal jury on Friday for defaming E. Jean Carroll, a former magazine columnist who accused him of raping her in the mid-1990s.
In addition to $65 million in punitive penalties, the jury awarded Carroll $83.3 million in damages. Following a prior jury’s 2022 verdict that found Trump guilty of sexual assault and defamation against Carroll, this is the second trial in Carroll’s civil action against the party. Trump has filed an appeal of both decisions.
Carroll sued Trump in 2019 after he denied her allegation and called her a liar. She claimed that Trump attacked her in a dressing room at Bergdorf Goodman, a luxury department store in New York, in late 1995 or early 1996. She wrote about the incident in her memoir, which was published in 2019. Trump responded that he had never met Carroll, that she was not his type, and that she was motivated by money and politics.
The trial focused on the damages that Carroll suffered as a result of Trump’s statements, which she said ruined her reputation, career, and emotional well-being. She testified that she lost income, opportunities, and readership because of Trump’s attacks. She also said that she received death threats, hate mail, and online harassment from Trump’s supporters. She asked for at least $10 million in compensatory damages and an unspecified amount in punitive damages.
Trump also testified in the trial, briefly and reluctantly. He repeated his denials and accused Carroll of fabricating the story. He said he had never been to Bergdorf Goodman and had no idea who Carroll was. He also said that he was exercising his free speech rights when he commented on Carroll’s accusation. He argued that Carroll was not entitled to any damage. She was benefiting from the publicity of the lawsuit.
The jury deliberated for less than three hours before reaching a unanimous verdict. They found that Carroll proved by a preponderance of the evidence that she suffered more than nominal damages due to Trump’s statements. They also discovered that Trump acted with actual malice, meaning that he knew his statements were false or acted with reckless disregard for the truth.
They awarded Carroll $7.3 million in compensatory damages outside the reputation repair program, $11 million in compensatory damages for a reputation repair program only, and $65 million in punitive damages.
Carroll described the ruling as a huge triumph, stating that she felt vindicated and grateful. She expressed hope that her case would encourage other women to speak out against sexual violence and hold powerful men accountable. She also stated that she intended to donate a portion of the money to charities that assist survivors of sexual assault.
The conviction is also a massive blow for Trump, who is facing several other legal problems, including criminal investigations in New York and Georgia, as well as civil lawsuits from other women who have accused him of sexual misconduct. Trump stated that the ruling angered him and would appeal. He described the trial as a political witch hunt and a disgrace to the legal system. He further declared that he would not pay Carroll a dollar and would sue her for malicious prosecution.
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