Carroll has said she would spend the money on 'something Trump hates', so he contends he would suffer irreparable harm if forced to pay before his appeals are exhausted.Show Caption
A federal judge ordered July 8 that New York columnist E. Jean Carroll be paid $5.8 million from a judgment against President Donald Trump, but he immediately appealed the ruling.Trump contends that he still has appeals that could protect him from that case and another $83 million judgment that Carroll won against him.U.S. District Judge Lewis Kaplan ordered that the money from the first case − $5 million plus interest − that has accumulated in a court investment account be paid to Carroll despite Trump's opposition.Trump appealed that decision to the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. He filed an emergency request asking the appeals court to halt Kaplan's order while Trump continues to litigate.Trump argues that both cases are intertwined and rely on official presidential statements. The Supreme Court ruled in 2024 that presidents are immune from prosecution for most official acts, which Trump contends should protect him from Carroll’s lawsuits, too.Trump’s formal response is the latest wrinkle in Carroll’s attempt to punish him for a disputed episode from the 1990s, when she alleged that Trump sexually assaulted her at a New York City department store.The smaller judgment resulted from a New York jury finding Trump liable for sexual abuse against Carroll. The larger judgment resulted from a separate jury finding Trump defamed Carroll when he denied her allegations.Kaplan told the second jury to accept the previous jury’s judgment and decide only how much Trump owed Carroll for comments he made as president.The Supreme Court declined to hear his appeal of the $5.8 million case June 29. Carroll then asked Kaplan to order Trump to pay her.But in Trump’s reply July 7, he said he could still appeal the $83 million judgment by July 28. He's also asked the Supreme Court for a rehearing in the $5.8 million case, which was the one the justices just rejected.Trump contends that his statements as president were key to the smaller judgment and were an "indispensable" part of the larger judgment."That use of official Presidential statements matters, because this Court has made clear that official Presidential acts may not be used as evidence to impose liability for other conduct," Trump’s lawyers said in a court filing.Before Kaplan's latest ruling, Trump said if the judge orders him to pay Carroll, he is "likely to never recover the funds." He cited several articles where she was quoted as saying she would spend the money on "something Trump hates."
