President-elect Donald Trump has suffered a major legal setback after a federal appeals court upheld the $5m verdict for sexually abusing and defaming the magazine writer E Jean Carroll.
In 2023, a jury awarded Carroll the sum after determining that Trump was liable for sexually assaulting her in a New York department store dressing room in the 1990s and subsequently defaming her by labeling her allegations a “hoax” after she went public.
Trump denied the accusations and appealed the verdict, arguing it was “grossly excessive” and should be overturned due to what he described as unfair rulings by the judge during the nine-day trial.
A three-judge panel at the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals disagreed. The panel also dismissed Trump’s arguments for a new trial.
In their ruling, the judges concluded “that Mr. Trump has not demonstrated that the district court erred in any of the challenged rulings.”
Two other women who accused Donald Trump of sexual misconduct also testified at the 2023 hearing. The appeals court said their testimony helped establish “a repeated, idiosyncratic pattern of conduct” consistent with Carroll’s allegations.
The opinion also referenced “Mr Trump’s statements in the [Access Hollywood] tape,” which also aligned with Carrol’s claims. The infamous recording from 2005 features the then-reality show star saying, “Grab them by the p*ssy.”
In addition to the $5m verdict, Carroll was awarded $83.3m in a separate defamation case. Donald Trump has denied Carroll’s allegations and is also appealing that verdict.