A federal appeals court has upheld a jury decision against Donald Trump, rejecting his appeal in a case involving sexual abuse and defamation claims brought by E. Jean Carroll.
Following a nine-day civil trial in 2023, a jury determined that Trump sexually abused Carroll at a Manhattan department store in 1996. The jury also found that Trump defamed Carroll in statements made in 2022. Carroll was awarded $5 million in compensatory and punitive damages.
Trump appealed the verdict, arguing that the trial court judge made errors in several rulings. He contested the admissibility of testimony from two women who also accused him of sexual assault and objected to the jury hearing the 2005 Access Hollywood recording, in which Trump discussed kissing and groping women without their consent.
In a 77-page decision, a three-judge panel ruled that Trump failed to show that the trial court made any errors impacting his “substantial rights.” The panel concluded that a new trial was not warranted.
“Both E. Jean Carroll and I are gratified by today’s decision. We thank the Second Circuit for its careful consideration of the parties’ arguments,” said Roberta Kaplan, Carroll’s attorney.
Trump spokesperson Steven Cheung criticized the ruling, calling it part of ongoing “political weaponization” of the justice system. “The American people demand an immediate end to these witch hunts, including the Carroll hoax, which will continue to be appealed,” Cheung said.
In a separate 2024 trial, a New York jury ordered Trump to pay Carroll $83 million in damages. The jury concluded that Trump’s public statements had harmed Carroll’s reputation as an advice columnist, accusing her of lying about the sexual assault.
