A federal jury ordered former President Donald Trump to pay E. Jean Carroll $83.3 million in damages for defamation on Friday, January 26. The verdict came after less than three hours of deliberation by the Manhattan jury.
The case against Trump stems from statements he made as president after Carroll said he had raped her in the 1990s. This massive verdict is the second financial win for the plaintiff against the former president, as she was awarded $5 million last year.
(Photo by Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images)
The latest jury awarded Carroll $7.3 million for compensatory damages other than reputation repair, $11 million for repairing her reputation, and $65 million in punitive damages for Trump’s June 21, 2019, remarks, saying he “acted maliciously, out of hatred, ill will or spite, vindictively or out of wanton, reckless, or willful disregard of Ms. Carroll’s right.”
The former president had said, shortly after Ms. Carroll’s 2019 book was published, that by describing the alleged rape, she was just “promoting a really crummy book,” adding that he planned to sue her for it later. “She said that I did something to her that never took place,” Trump had said. “There was no anything. I know nothing about this nut job.” He went on to call her mentally sick.
Former President Trump wasn’t in the Manhattan courtroom when the verdict was read at 4:40 p.m. Eastern, as he had previously walked out during the closing arguments.
“Absolutely ridiculous!” Trump posted to Truth Social afterward. “I fully disagree with both verdicts.” He plans to appeal the decision, and argued that the legal system was being used as a political weapon against him, saying, “they have taken away all First Amendment rights.”
