Columnist E. Jean Carroll on Friday sought $83.3 million in defamation damages from former President Donald Trump after he repeatedly denied allegations that he sexually assaulted her at a department store in the 1990s. He praised the jury's verdict.
“This is a huge victory for all the women who stand up when they are pushed down, and a huge defeat for all the bullies who tried to hold them down,” Carroll said in a statement. Ta.
She also thanked attorney Roberta Kaplan for “this victory.”
Kaplan echoed Carroll's opinion, saying the ruling proves that no one is above the law, “not even the rich, the famous, or even the former president.”
“There are ways to confront someone like Donald Trump who values wealth, fame and power over respect for the law,” Kaplan said. “It takes courage and bravery to stand up to bullies. It takes people like E. Jean Carroll. Thank you to E. Jean and the jury for upholding the rule of law. ”
Friday's ruling marks the second time an author has won damages from Trump. Last year, the former president was found liable for sexually abusing her and was ordered to pay $5 million to Carroll after losing a separate defamation lawsuit.
The nine-judge jury ordered Trump to pay $11 million in reputation repair programs, $7.3 million in other compensatory damages, and $65 million in punitive damages.
Trump briefly took the stand Friday as the final witness in the trial, but stormed out of the courtroom during closing arguments before the final verdict was read.
The former president, who has continued to deny the allegations, slammed the judge's ruling in a post on his platform Truth Social and vowed to appeal the ruling.
“Absolutely ridiculous! I completely disagree with both rulings and plan to appeal the entire Biden-led witch hunt focused on me and the Republican Party,” Trump wrote. “Our legal system is out of control and is being used as a political weapon.”
“They took away all of their First Amendment rights,” he added. “This isn't America!”
District Judge Lewis Kaplan had already entered a defamation judgment against Carroll, so the jury only considered the issue of damages.
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