Former Elle magazine advise columnist E. Jean Carroll watches as Joe Tacopina, former US President Donald Trump’s lawyer, makes closing arguments during the civil trial in which Carroll accuses Trump of rape of him in a department store dressing room in the mid-1990s, and of defamation, in New York, May 8, 2023 in this courtroom sketch.
Jane Rosenberg | Reuters
Donald Trump on Thursday served notice that he would appeal a federal civil jury’s verdict this week held the former president liable for sexually assaulting and defaming writer E. Jean Carroll.
Trump’s lawyers also said in a court filing that they will ask the US 2nd Circuit Court of Appeals to overturn the order that he pay $5 million in compensatory and punitive damages to Carroll in that case.
His lawyers filed their notice of appeal in the US District Court in Manhattan, less than an hour after the final judgement of the jury is entered into the docket of that court.
Carroll, 79, sued Trump for allegedly raping her in a dressing room at the Bergdorf Goodman department store in the mid-1990s, and for defaming her in comments last fall when he rejected her offers. statement.
Trump, 76, denied seeing Carroll at the store. He said he made both of those allegations, and was “not my type.”
Former US President Donald Trump disembarks his plane “Trump Force One” at Aberdeen Airport on May 1, 2023 in Aberdeen, Scotland.
Jeff J Mitchell | Getty Images
The jury in Tuesday’s trial did not find that there was more evidence that Trump raped Carroll, but its finding that he likely sexually abused her was enough to sustain her civil claim for battery.
Trump is the leading contender for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination.
Trump at a town hall in New Hampshire hosted by CNN on Wednesday night mocked Carroll, who drew laughter and applause from the audience. Trump called Carroll a “whack job” during the town hall, and again claimed his account of events was “fake.”
“She wasn’t raped, okay?” said Trump. “And I didn’t do anything else either, OK, because I didn’t know who he was.”
