Judge Orders Release of $5.8 Million to E. Jean Carroll After Trump’s Appeal Falls Short

A U.S. federal judge has ordered that writer E. Jean Carroll receive $5.8 million, including accrued interest, following the conclusion of a lengthy legal battle over a civil verdict against Donald Trump. The decision comes after the Supreme Court of the United States recently declined to hear Trump’s appeal, effectively leaving intact a jury’s 2023 finding that he sexually abused and later defamed E Jean Carroll.

Court Orders Escrow Funds Released

In a ruling issued Wednesday, Lewis A. Kaplan directed court officials to release funds that Trump had deposited into an escrow account shortly after the original verdict.

The money, initially set at $5 million, has grown to approximately $5.8 million due to accumulated interest while the appeals process unfolded.

Judge Kaplan said the prolonged litigation had delayed E. Jean Carroll’s ability to receive compensation awarded by the jury. He noted that Trump had already secured the funds in escrow and concluded it was now appropriate for the judgment to be enforced.

Appeals Court Rejects Emergency Request

Trump’s legal team immediately sought emergency intervention from the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit, requesting that the release of funds be paused while they pursued additional legal options.

However, Circuit Judge Eunice C. Lee denied the emergency request later the same day.

The ruling allows the transfer of funds to proceed despite Trump’s continuing efforts to challenge the verdict.

Background of the Civil Case

The lawsuit stemmed from E. Jean Carroll’s allegations that Trump sexually assaulted her inside a dressing room at the Bergdorf Goodman during the mid-1990s.

Carroll later publicly described the incident in a memoir published in 2019.

Trump consistently denied the allegations, stating that the encounter never occurred and questioning Carroll’s credibility.

In May 2023, a Manhattan jury concluded that Trump was liable for sexual abuse and defamation, awarding Carroll $5 million in damages.

The civil case was made possible after New York enacted legislation temporarily allowing survivors of historic sexual abuse to file lawsuits beyond previous statutory deadlines.

Trump Continues Legal Challenge

Trump’s attorneys argued that they intend to continue seeking legal relief, including asking the Supreme Court to reconsider its earlier refusal to review the case.

They also criticized what they described as politically motivated litigation against the president, maintaining that the legal proceedings have been unfair.

Trump has repeatedly rejected Carroll’s allegations and has continued to deny any wrongdoing.

Separate Defamation Appeal Remains Pending

The latest order concerns only the 2023 judgment.

Trump is separately appealing another jury verdict issued in 2024 that awarded E. Jean Carroll approximately $83 million in damages over additional defamatory statements made after she first accused him publicly.

In that case, jurors were instructed to accept the findings of the earlier trial and determine only the amount of financial compensation resulting from Trump’s subsequent comments.

That appeal remains active.

Carroll Welcomes End to Long Legal Battle

Carroll’s legal team argued that she had waited years to receive the compensation awarded by the jury and urged the courts to bring the matter to a close.

The attorneys said the legal process had run its course following the Supreme Court’s decision not to hear Trump’s appeal.

With Wednesday’s ruling, E. Jean Carroll is now expected to receive the funds unless a higher court grants further relief.

The decision marks another significant chapter in one of the most closely watched civil legal disputes involving a sitting U.S. president, even as related litigation between the two parties continues in federal court.