A federal appeals court on Monday refused to overturn the $83.3 million judgment against President Donald Trump in writer E. Jean Carroll’s defamation case.
The decision leaves intact a January 2024 jury verdict that ordered Trump to pay massive damages for comments he made in 2019 while serving as president.
Carroll’s Allegations
Carroll, a former Elle magazine columnist, alleged Trump raped her in a department store dressing room in the 1990s.
She later sued Trump for defamation after he denied the claims in 2019 and said she was “not my type.”
Trump has repeatedly denied her accusations, calling Carroll a “whack job.”
The Jury’s Decision
A nine-person jury in Manhattan awarded Carroll $18.3 million for reputational harm and $65 million in punitive damages.
The jury concluded Trump’s comments were defamatory and malicious.
It was one of the largest defamation verdicts ever issued against a U.S. president.
Appeals Court Ruling
On Monday, the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Manhattan unanimously upheld the verdict.
The panel wrote that Trump