A federal appeals court has affirmed a ruling against Donald Trump, upholding a jury's verdict that found him liable for sexually abusing and defaming writer E. Jean Carroll. This decision marks a significant legal setback for the former president in the long-standing case.
The 2nd Circuit Court of Appeals panel rejected Trump’s challenge to the initial verdict, which awarded Carroll $5 million in damages. Trump had argued that the trial court improperly allowed testimony from other women who accused him of sexual misconduct. The panel found no error in the lower court's handling of evidence and affirmed that the jury's decision was based on a properly developed record.
In a separate but related trial, another jury ordered Trump to pay Carroll more than $83 million for additional defamatory statements he made about her. The core issue revolved around Trump's denial of claims that he sexually assaulted Carroll in a department store in the 1990s. Despite the substantial penalties and continued legal challenges, the court has remained steadfast in upholding the verdicts.
Following the court's latest decision, E. Jean Carroll's attorney expressed gratitude for the thorough consideration of their case. Trump, on the other hand, has maintained his innocence and described the lawsuit as a hoax. He also continues to deny ever having met Carroll, even though there are multiple photographs of the two.
Furthermore, Trump’s defense team had attempted to exclude evidence such as his comments on the "Access Hollywood" tape. The appeals court, however, found no sufficient basis to overturn the original ruling. The judges stated that they were "not persuaded that any claimed error...affected Mr. Trump's substantial rights." This firmly places the responsibility of the verdict on the jury’s assessment of facts.
Adding to the legal complexities, Trump recently settled a defamation lawsuit against ABC News over anchor George Stephanopoulos's remarks about the first Carroll case, agreeing to a $15 million settlement in the form of a donation to Trump's presidential library. Although Stephanopoulos incorrectly stated the jury found Trump liable for "rape," the settlement underscores the significance of the language used and the sensitive nature of these charges.
