Former President Donald Trump has been ruled liable for defamation in his ongoing legal battle with author E. Jean Carroll. Carroll has accused Trump of raping her in the 1990s and claimed that he defamed her by denying the allegations. In a previous trial, a jury found Trump guilty of sexually abusing and forcibly touching Carroll, ordering him to pay $5 million in damages. Trump vehemently criticized the decision and launched a verbal attack on social media.
Judge Lewis Kaplan, a federal judge appointed by President Clinton, has now ruled in favor of Carroll, stating that the jury’s finding in the previous trial binds Trump from contesting the falsity of his 2019 statements. The trial for this second defamation lawsuit is scheduled for January 15, 2024, to determine the amount of damages Trump must pay. Carroll is seeking $10 million in damages. Kaplan has denied the request to cap the damages, rendering the previous $5 million suit irrelevant.
Despite these legal challenges, Trump remains the favored candidate for the Republican Party’s 2024 presidential nomination.
