The Supreme Court declined to hear his case, effectively letting the jury's decision stand.
After years of legal maneuvering, a federal judge has ordered the release of $5.8 million to writer E. Jean Carroll — funds Donald Trump had held in escrow while appealing a 2023 jury verdict that found him liable for sexual abuse and defamation. The Supreme Court's refusal to hear his appeal cleared the final procedural barrier, though Trump's attorneys moved within hours to block the payment through an emergency appeal. The case is one chapter in a longer reckoning: two civil verdicts now total more than $89 million, a figure that will test both the limits of appellate delay and the durability of accountability in public life.
- A Manhattan jury's 2023 finding that Trump sexually abused and defamed E. Jean Carroll has survived its most significant legal challenge — the Supreme Court's refusal to intervene.
- Judge Kaplan's order to release $5.8 million, including years of accumulated interest, signals that the legal architecture protecting Trump's escrowed funds has largely collapsed.
- Trump's attorneys filed an emergency appeal within hours, arguing that releasing the money before all appeals are exhausted could cause irreparable harm if he ultimately prevails.
- Legal experts view his remaining options as narrow, and a second, far larger judgment of $83.3 million from a 2024 defamation verdict still looms under separate appeal.
- Carroll now stands closer than ever to collecting on the first verdict, even as the full $89 million picture remains unsettled and contested.
A federal judge has ordered $5.8 million released to writer E. Jean Carroll — money Donald Trump deposited with the court years ago while appealing a verdict against him. The ruling by U.S. District Judge Lewis A. Kaplan followed the Supreme Court's decision to decline Trump's appeal, effectively allowing the 2023 jury verdict to stand.
That verdict found Trump had sexually abused Carroll in a Bergdorf Goodman dressing room in the mid-1990s and defamed her when she later went public with her account. The jury awarded $5 million in damages; the $5.8 million figure now reflects interest accumulated while the funds sat in escrow. Trump's strategy had been to deposit the full amount with the court to prevent Carroll from collecting while he pursued appeals — a path that narrowed considerably once the Supreme Court declined to act.
Trump's legal team responded swiftly, filing an emergency appeal with the Second Circuit within hours of the ruling. They argued that releasing the funds before all legal avenues were exhausted could cause irreparable harm, particularly if Trump were to prevail and Carroll could not repay. They also referenced a pending request for the Supreme Court to reconsider — a rarely granted procedural step.
The $5.8 million is only part of Trump's financial exposure to Carroll. A separate 2024 jury awarded her $83.3 million for ongoing defamation, a judgment also under appeal. Together, the two verdicts exceed $89 million, though neither has been fully collected as the litigation continues on multiple fronts.
A federal judge has released $5.8 million to writer E. Jean Carroll, money that Donald Trump had deposited with the court years earlier while fighting a verdict against him. The ruling, handed down Wednesday by U.S. District Judge Lewis A. Kaplan, came after the Supreme Court declined to take up Trump's appeal of the underlying case, effectively letting the jury's 2023 decision stand.
The case traces back to May 2023, when a Manhattan jury found that Trump sexually abused Carroll in a dressing room at Bergdorf Goodman department store in the mid-1990s. That same jury also determined he defamed her afterward, when she went public with her account. They awarded her $5 million in compensatory and punitive damages. Under New York law at the time, the jury's finding was sexual abuse rather than rape, though the distinction mattered little to the outcome. The $5.8 million figure now includes interest that accumulated while the money sat in escrow.
Trump's legal strategy had been to deposit the full amount with the court while he exhausted his appeals, a move designed to prevent Carroll from collecting while he fought the verdict. But once the Supreme Court declined to hear his case, the legal ground shifted. Judge Kaplan determined that the conditions for releasing the escrowed funds had been met, and Carroll's attorneys moved to collect. The judge agreed, clearing the way for the payment—unless a higher court stepped in to block it.
That intervention came swiftly. Trump's legal team filed an emergency appeal with the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit within hours, seeking to halt the payment. Their argument centered on the notion that releasing the money before all legal avenues had been exhausted could cause irreparable harm. They contended that if Trump ultimately prevailed on appeal, Carroll might be unable to repay the funds. The appeal also referenced a separate petition asking the Supreme Court to reconsider its refusal to hear the case, though such requests are rarely granted.
Throughout the litigation, Trump has maintained his innocence, denying that he ever assaulted Carroll and characterizing the lawsuits as politically motivated. His attorneys have challenged the trial judge's evidentiary rulings, arguing that certain procedural errors—including limits on his ability to present defenses and cross-examine witnesses—warrant either overturning the verdict or granting a new trial.
The $5.8 million judgment is not Trump's only financial exposure to Carroll. In January 2024, a separate federal jury awarded her $83.3 million after finding that Trump repeatedly defamed her through statements he made while denying her allegations after the first verdict. That larger judgment also remains under appeal, with Trump seeking review after a federal appeals court upheld the award. Together, the two verdicts total more than $89 million, though neither has been fully secured while the legal battles continue.
Citações Notáveis
Trump's attorneys argued that releasing the money before all remaining legal avenues have been exhausted could cause irreparable harm because Carroll might not be able to repay the funds if Trump were ultimately to prevail.— Trump's legal team, in their emergency appeal
Trump has consistently denied Carroll's allegations, maintaining that he never assaulted her and has repeatedly argued that the lawsuits are politically motivated.— Trump's position throughout the litigation
A Conversa do Hearth Outra perspectiva sobre a história
Why did Trump deposit the money in the first place if he was confident he'd win on appeal?
It's a standard legal maneuver. You deposit the judgment amount with the court to stay the payment while you appeal. It buys you time and keeps the other side from spending the money while you're still fighting.
And the Supreme Court declining to hear it—what does that actually mean?
It means they looked at his petition and decided the case wasn't worth their time. That's functionally a loss. The jury verdict stands, and now there's no higher court to hide behind.
So why appeal to the Second Circuit now if the Supreme Court already said no?
Because you appeal everything you can. His lawyers are arguing that releasing the money causes irreparable harm—that if he somehow wins later, Carroll won't be able to pay it back. It's a long shot, but it's the move you make.
Is there any realistic path for him to overturn this?
The procedural arguments about trial errors are his best bet, but courts are generally reluctant to overturn jury verdicts on those grounds. And he's already lost at the Supreme Court level. His remaining options are narrow.
What about the $83 million judgment?
That's a separate case, also under appeal. It's from a jury finding he defamed her repeatedly after the first verdict. So he's fighting two battles at once, and both are going against him so far.
Does Carroll get the money now, or does she have to wait?
She gets it unless the Second Circuit grants an emergency stay. That could happen, but it's not guaranteed. For now, the judge has cleared the way for her to collect.