US appeals court upholds $5M defamation verdict against Trump

A federal appeals court on Monday upheld a New York jury’s verdict from last year, holding Donald Trump accountable in the $5 million defamation case brought by E. Jean Carroll, media outlets reported.

The president-elect was found liable by the New York jury in May 2023 for sexually abusing Carroll, a former Elle magazine columnist, in the dressing room of a Bergdorf Goodman department store in the mid-1990s. He was also found liable for defaming her when she came forward with her accusations during Trump’s first term as president.

In an unsigned opinion, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit said Trump must still be held accountable for the original judgment. The three-judge panel ruled that Trump had not shown any legal error that would warrant a new trial.

“We conclude that Mr. Trump has not demonstrated that the district court erred in any of the challenged rulings,” the panel said. “Further, he has not carried his burden to show that any claimed error or combination of claimed errors affected his substantial rights as required to warrant a new trial.”

Roberta Kaplan, Carroll’s attorney, issued a statement praising the appeals court’s decision. “Both E. Jean Carroll and I are gratified by today’s decision,” Kaplan said. “We thank the Second Circuit for its careful consideration of the parties’ arguments.”

The ruling means Trump is still responsible for the $5 million that was awarded to Carroll, unless he wins further appeals. Steven Cheung, a spokesperson for Trump, indicated in a statement to Fox News that Trump intends to appeal the decision.

“The American people have re-elected President Trump with an overwhelming mandate, and they demand an immediate end to the political weaponization of our justice system and a swift dismissal of all of the Witch Hunts, including the Democrat-funded Carroll Hoax, which will continue to be appealed,” Cheung said.

Even if Trump continues his appeals in this case, his legal battles with Carroll are not over. In a separate civil suit, Trump was ordered by a jury to pay Carroll more than $80 million in damages for defamatory statements he made about her during his first term in office. That appeal remains pending.