Former U.S. President Donald Trump has filed an appeal against the $83.3 million defamation verdict in the case brought by writer E. Jean Carroll. The appeal, submitted to the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Manhattan, challenges various aspects of the January 26 verdict, which stemmed from Carroll’s accusation of rape against Trump dating back decades.
Trump disclosed that he secured a $91.63 million bond from Federal Insurance Co. for the appeal, in line with the trial court’s practice of requiring bonds equal to 110% of judgments. Previously, Trump argued against the need for any security, claiming Carroll was adequately protected, but the trial court disagreed.
The defamation case revolves around Carroll’s allegation that Trump raped her in the mid-1990s in a Bergdorf Goodman department store dressing room in Manhattan, which Trump vehemently denies. The jury awarded Carroll $18.3 million in compensatory damages, including amounts for emotional harm and harm to her reputation, as well as $65 million in punitive damages.
Trump has contested the verdict, asserting he should not be liable for any damages or, alternatively, that the sums awarded should be significantly reduced.
Additionally, Trump faces another legal battle following a $454.2 million verdict in a civil fraud case brought by New York Attorney General Letitia James.
Despite Trump’s appeals, U.S. District Judge Lewis Kaplan, who presided over Carroll’s trial, has yet to rule on motions for a new trial and reduction of damages. Trump’s legal team argues that certain rulings during the trial, including the exclusion of Trump’s testimony about his state of mind, may have influenced the jury’s decision.
