US President Donald Trump has been ordered to pay E Jean Carroll nearly $5.8 million after a federal judge allowed the release of funds that had been set aside following a jury’s verdict that found him liable for sexually abusing Carroll and defaming her.The decision came after the US Supreme Court declined to hear Trump’s challenge to the jury’s 2023 verdict. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco)Judge Lewis A. Kaplan issued the order on Wednesday, allowing Carroll to receive the money along with interest that accumulated since the 2023 civil trial verdict.The payment had been placed in a court-controlled fund while Trump pursued appeals.The decision came after the US Supreme Court declined to hear Trump’s challenge to the jury’s 2023 verdict, leaving the judgment against him intact.Why does Trump owe E. Jean Carroll $5.8 million?The case dates back to allegations made by Carroll, a writer and former magazine columnist, who said Trump sexually assaulted her in 1996 inside a dressing room at a luxury department store in Manhattan.Carroll publicly accused Trump of the attack in 2019, while Trump was serving as president, after publishing her memoir. Trump denied the allegation, said he did not know Carroll, and accused her of making the claims for publicity and political reasons.Also Read: US justice department launches criminal probe into E Jean Carroll, writer who accused Trump of sexual assault: ReportIn 2023, a New York federal jury found Trump liable for sexually abusing Carroll and later defaming her through statements denying her allegations. The jury awarded Carroll $5 million in damages.Trump did not attend the trial, where Carroll testified about the alleged encounter. The verdict covered claims of sexual abuse and defamation related to Trump’s public comments about Carroll.What did the judge’s latest order say?Carroll’s lawyers requested that the money be released after the Supreme Court rejected Trump’s attempt to appeal the 2023 verdict.Judge Kaplan’s order allowed the funds, which Trump had already deposited while the appeals process continued, to be transferred to Carroll. The amount had increased to about $5.8 million due to accumulated interest.Attorneys for both Trump and Carroll did not immediately comment on the latest development.Also Read: E Jean Carroll v Donald Trump lawsuits: 5 things to know as DOJ probes journalist who accused POTUS of sexual assaultWhat has Trump said about the ruling?Trump has continued to challenge the verdict and criticized the Supreme Court’s decision not to take up his appeal.In a post on Truth Social, Trump called the case a “Fake Case” and said the Supreme Court’s decision was unexpected. He wrote that he would continue fighting what he described as the “Weaponization and Lawfare Case” against him.Trump also argued that the case represented an attack on future presidents and candidates, writing that it “should never be allowed to happen to another President, or Candidate to be.”Trump is separately appealing an $83 million defamation award handed down after a second trial in January 2024.