Federal Judge Orders Release of $5 Million Plus Interest to E. Jean Carroll

A federal judge ordered the release of $5 million plus interest from a court-controlled bank account to E. Jean Carroll. The funds stem from a 2023 civil jury verdict that found President Trump liable for sexual abuse and defamation.

The money had remained in the account for three years. President Trump stated in recent filings that he wanted the funds to stay there and asked the lower court to delay disbursement until the Supreme Court considers his request for reconsideration of its June 29 decision. Trump's lawyers filed a notice of appeal contesting the release order.

Carroll had sought and received a faster-than-normal schedule for payment, which includes hundreds of thousands of dollars in interest accumulated since 2023. Roberta Kaplan, Carroll's lawyer, called Trump's Supreme Court effort "gamesmanship" and accused him of trying "to buy time so he can try to concoct some new basis to put off paying" Carroll.

A unanimous federal jury concluded in under three hours that Trump more likely than not sexually abused Carroll by forcibly inserting his fingers into her during a 1990s encounter in a department store.

Trump has denied the allegations since they were first raised in 2019. In a separate 2024 defamation trial, Carroll won more than $83 million from Trump. The arguments the Supreme Court declined to hear in the $5 million case centered on whether the trial judge allowed inadmissible evidence.