President-elect Donald Trump has suffered a major legal setback after a federal appeals court upheld a $5 million verdict against magazine writer E Jean Carroll on sexual abuse and defamation charges.
In 2023, a jury awarded Kahlo a verdict after a jury convicted Trump of sexually assaulting her in a New York department store dressing room in the 1990s and defaming her by labeling her accusations a “hoax” after they went public. This money.
Trump has denied the charges and appealed the verdict, saying it was “grossly excessive” and should be overturned because he said the judge made an unfair decision during the nine-day trial.
A three-judge panel on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit disagreed. The panel also rejected Trump’s argument for a new trial.
In the ruling, the judge concluded that “Mr. Trump has not shown that the district court erred in any of the challenged rulings.”
Two other women who have accused Donald Trump of sexual misconduct also testified at the 2023 hearing. The appeals court said their testimony helped establish a “repeated and idiosyncratic pattern of behavior” consistent with Carroll’s allegations.
The opinion also noted that “Mr. Trump’s [Access Hollywood] Tape,” which also matches Carroll’s claims. In this infamous 2005 recording, the then-reality star said: “Grab them by the pussy. “
In addition to the $5 million verdict, Carroll was awarded $83.3 million in a separate defamation case. Donald Trump has denied Carroll’s accusations and is appealing the verdict.
