A federal judge in New York has ordered President Donald Trump to pay the $5 million judgment awarded to writer E. Jean Carroll after a jury found him liable for sexually abusing and defaming her.
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The order was issued on Wednesday while Trump attended the NATO summit in Ankara. Judge Lewis Kaplan directed that the $5 million judgment, along with nearly $800,000 in accrued interest, be paid to Carroll.
Appeals Exhausted
In his ruling, Kaplan said Trump had delayed the case for years despite repeated court defeats.
"In the last analysis, defendant has been stalling this case for years," Kaplan wrote. "A jury unanimously concluded that he sexually abused and defamed plaintiff and awarded her damages accordingly. The judgment on that verdict has been upheld on appeal. En banc rehearing has been denied. The Supreme Court has denied certiorari without dissent. It is time for him to 'do equity' and pay the judgment."
Jury Verdict and Supreme Court Decision
A New York jury in 2023 found Trump liable for sexually abusing Carroll in a dressing room at Bergdorf Goodman in the mid-1990s and for defaming her in 2022 after he denied her allegations. The jury awarded Carroll $5 million in damages.
Last month, the U.S. Supreme Court declined to hear Trump's appeal of that verdict without any recorded dissents, leaving the judgment in place.
Trump's lawyers filed a notice on Wednesday stating they intend to appeal Kaplan's latest order.
Appeals Court Rejects Delay Request
Trump's legal team also sought an administrative stay from the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit in an effort to delay payment. However, the appeals court rejected the request in a one-page order on Wednesday, allowing the funds to be released to Carroll.
The Second Circuit had previously rejected Trump's attempts to overturn the verdict before the Supreme Court declined to review the case.
Three years ago, Trump deposited approximately $5.55 million into the federal Court Registry Investment System, where the funds were held while his appeal proceeded.
Kaplan has now ordered the court clerk to transfer the money to an account belonging to Carroll's lawyers. Court records do not yet indicate whether the transfer has been completed.
Separate $83 Million Judgment Still Under Appeal
Following the Supreme Court's decision, Carroll's attorneys asked the court to release the funds, arguing that after years of litigation there was no reason for further delay, despite indications that Trump might seek reconsideration from the Supreme Court.
"[A]fter four years of litigation across every level of the federal court system, it is time for this case to end," Carroll's attorney, Roberta Kaplan, wrote in a court filing.
Trump responded to the Supreme Court's decision in a post on his social media platform, saying he would continue challenging the case.
"I will continue the fight against this Weaponization and Lawfare Case against me, including the ridiculous claim of Defamation, with all of my power and strength," he wrote.
A separate jury has also ordered Trump to pay Carroll an additional $83 million in damages in a related defamation case. That judgment remains under appeal.
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9 July 2026
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