New York writer E. Jean Carroll has officially received a payout of more than $5.6 million, including interest, following a long-standing legal battle with former President Donald Trump. The funds were disbursed on July 14 from an account Trump was required to maintain while he pursued his appeals process.
The payment follows a series of legal maneuvers that concluded after the U.S. Supreme Court opted against reviewing Trump's appeal on June 29. Following that decision, Carroll petitioned the Manhattan trial court to release the $5 million jury award plus accrued interest. Although Trump’s legal team contested the request, a federal judge ordered the payment to proceed on July 8.
Judge Lewis A. Kaplan, an appointee of President Bill Clinton, criticized the delays in his July 8 ruling, stating that Trump had been stalling the case for years and that it was finally time for him to pay the judgment. The underlying lawsuit stemmed from allegations that Trump assaulted Carroll in a department store dressing room during the 1990s and subsequently damaged her reputation by labeling her claims a "con job" in 2022. Trump has consistently denied these accusations and continues to dispute the findings of the 2023 Manhattan civil jury.
This payout is distinct from a separate legal matter involving the same parties. In 2024, a different Manhattan civil jury awarded Carroll $83.3 million after determining that Trump defamed her in 2019 when he initially denied her allegations. That specific case remains subject to ongoing litigation as Trump pursues an appeal.
