The United States Supreme Court declined to hear U.S. President Donald Trump’s appeal of a $5-million verdict in favor of E. Jean Carroll for the second time. This decision comes after a jury found Trump liable for sexually abusing and defaming the former magazine columnist. Trump’s lawyers argued that the trial was unfair, but the justices rejected his request to reconsider their previous decision from June concerning the 2023 jury verdict.
The court’s order, which was unsigned and lacked an explanation, is a rare occurrence as the Supreme Court rarely grants requests for reconsideration. Additionally, the justices are also considering Trump’s appeal of a separate $83.3-million jury verdict for defaming Carroll during his first term as president in 2019.
Trump’s legal team asserts that presidential immunity shields him from Carroll’s claims and argues that lower courts incorrectly ruled that he had waived that defense. The ongoing legal battle stems from Carroll’s allegations that Trump raped her in the 1990s, which he has consistently denied.
The $5-million verdict in question relates to Trump’s statements in 2022 where he labeled Carroll’s claim as a “hoax” and a “con job” on social media. While the jury found Trump had sexually abused and defamed Carroll, they did not conclude that he had raped her as she alleged.
In June, following the Supreme Court’s denial of Trump’s appeal, Carroll received nearly $5.63 million from Trump, which included the original $5-million civil verdict plus interest. Trump’s lawyers have raised concerns that the issue of presidential immunity could impact both the 2023 and 2024 verdicts. Notably, the Supreme Court previously ruled in a 2024 decision that former presidents have full immunity from criminal prosecution for actions taken within their core constitutional powers, but the Carroll cases are civil lawsuits.