E.Jean Carroll, a journalist who was falsely accused of sexual assault by Donald Trump, has said she would sue him again if he continues to post about her online. A New York City jury ordered Trump to pay $83.3 million in damages to Carroll for statements made in 2019. The amount includes $7.3 million in compensatory damages, $11 million for reputational repair, and $65 million in punitive damages. Trump was previously ordered to pay Carroll $5 million in damages last year in another civil defamation trial stemming from a denial he made about her claims in 2022. He has repeatedly denied all wrongdoing and has said he will appeal the verdict.
Carroll described how she and her legal team were “laughing and crying all at the same time” after winning the case against Trump. She felt that this bodes well for the future and that there will be a new way of doing things in the country because of this indestructible team of lawyers. Carroll also mocked the “ludicrous confidence” of Trump’s lawyer in the case, Alina Habba, during an interview on CNN.
Experts have suggested that the damages payout will cause Trump, the GOP frontrunner, to experience a cash flow problem, especially when combined with the damages he is expected to pay in his civil fraud trial. In September, Judge Arthur Engoron issued a partial summary judgment in the case brought by New York Attorney General Letitia James, ruling that Trump and top executives at The Trump Organization committed fraud. Engoron will now rule on how much the Republican will pay in damages, as well as rule on six other accusations—including falsifying business records, insurance fraud, and conspiracy claims. James is seeking the return of $370 million in profits Trump made.
