US Supreme Court rejects Donald Trump appeal in $5m Carroll case

The United States Supreme Court has declined to hear President Donald Trump's appeal against a $5 million civil

The United States Supreme Court has declined to hear President Donald Trump’s appeal against a $5 million civil verdict awarded to writer E. Jean Carroll, effectively allowing the lower court’s ruling to stand.

The decision leaves intact the 2023 jury verdict that found Trump liable for sexually abusing and later defaming Carroll over allegations linked to an incident in a New York department store during the mid-1990s. The compensation was awarded in a civil case and did not involve criminal charges.

By refusing to review the appeal, the Supreme Court did not comment on the merits of the case but allowed the earlier judgment to remain final and enforceable.

Carroll had separately pursued another defamation lawsuit against Trump, resulting in a separate jury award of $83.3 million in damages over statements made by Trump in 2019 denying her allegations and questioning her credibility.

Following the Supreme Court’s decision, Trump strongly criticised the legal proceedings, describing them as politically motivated and part of what he called a campaign of “lawfare” against him.

In a statement shared on his social media platform, Trump vowed to continue challenging the rulings and maintained that he had never met Carroll. He also alleged that legal measures introduced in New York were specifically designed to facilitate cases against him, arguing that such actions could set a concerning precedent for future political leaders and candidates.