Writer E. Jean Carroll has collected nearly $5.63 million from President Donald Trump following a 2023 jury verdict that found him liable for sexually abusing and defaming her. The payment, consisting of a $5 million award plus interest, was released from a court-supervised escrow account on Monday after U.S. District Judge Lewis Kaplan authorized the disbursement.
The payment comes after the U.S. Supreme Court recently declined to hear Trump's appeal, clearing the way for the funds to be released. Trump's legal team attempted to block the transfer with an emergency order, arguing that the president would suffer irreparable harm if Carroll gave the money away. However, these efforts were denied. Carroll's lawyer, Roberta Kaplan, confirmed the receipt of the damages and stated that Carroll plans to put the money in a retirement account.
The 2023 jury found that Trump attacked Carroll in a New York luxury department store dressing room in 1996 and later defamed her. Trump has consistently denied the allegations, describing the claims as a hoax and accusing Carroll of having political motives to sell her memoir. His legal team has characterized the proceedings as lawfare and a witch hunt, while Trump previously claimed Carroll was not his type and that he did not know her.
This is the first time Trump has been forced to pay Carroll, who has won $88.3 million in civil verdicts against the president over seven years. In addition to the 2023 award, a separate jury in 2024 ordered Trump to pay $83.3 million in defamation compensation. Trump is continuing to appeal that verdict.