In a landmark civil trial, a New York jury has found former US President Donald Trump liable for sexually abusing advice columnist E Jean Carroll in a department store changing room 27 years ago. The verdict was delivered after a seven-day trial and just three hours of deliberation.
The panel of six men and three women also found that Trump defamed Carroll by calling her a liar after she publicly accused him of the assault in her 2019 memoir. Carroll was awarded approximately $5 million in compensatory and punitive damages. She also got about $2 million for sexual abuse and nearly $3 million for defamation.
The jury did not find evidence to support Carroll’s allegation of rape. However, based on testimony, they did hold Trump responsible for sexual abuse. Trump’s spokesperson, Steven Cheung, immediately announced that the former president would appeal the verdict. This would automatically suspend payment of damages as long as the appeal is ongoing.
Carroll’s accusation is one of over two dozen allegations of sexual misconduct or assault against Trump. Despite this verdict and the shadow it casts on his 2024 presidential campaign, Trump continues to deny the accusations. He publicly called the verdict a “disgrace” in a post on his social media app Truth Social.
