A federal appeals court on Monday upheld a jury’s decision that found President-elect Donald Trump liable for sexually abusing advice columnist E. Jean Carroll and ordered him to pay $5 million in damages.
The three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit ruled that Trump failed to prove any errors in the trial that would require a new one. In their opinion, the judges stated, “On review for abuse of discretion, we conclude that Mr. Trump has not demonstrated that the district court erred in any of the challenged rulings.”
The New York jury had found Trump responsible for sexually assaulting Carroll in a department store dressing room in Manhattan in the mid-1990s. The jury also determined that Trump defamed Carroll by denying the incident when she spoke out during his first term as president.
In a separate case, a jury had ordered Trump to pay $83.3 million in defamation damages for continuing to reject Carroll’s claims. Trump is still appealing that decision, but the latest ruling from the appeals court is a setback for his defense, as it reinforces the previous sexual abuse judgment.
Carroll’s lawyer, Robbie Kaplan, responded to the ruling, saying, “Both E. Jean Carroll and I are gratified by today’s decision. We thank the Second Circuit for its careful consideration of the parties’ arguments.”
Trump, however, is determined to continue contesting the jury’s verdict. He may now request that the full appeals court review Monday’s decision or take the case to the U.S. Supreme Court.
Trump’s spokesperson, Steven Cheung, who is set to become his White House communications director, issued a statement saying, “The American People have re-elected President Trump with an overwhelming mandate, and they demand an immediate end to the political weaponization of our justice system and a swift dismissal of all of the Witch Hunts, including the Democrat-funded Carroll Hoax, which will continue to be appealed.”
Trump had previously asked for a new trial, arguing that the jury heard improper testimony and that he was unfairly prevented from questioning Carroll on certain points during cross-examination. The appeals court panel rejected those arguments, agreeing with the lower court’s decision to allow testimony from two other women who accused Trump of sexual misconduct, as well as the “Access Hollywood” tape, in which Trump was heard bragging about grabbing women without their consent.
Jessica Leeds, one of the women, testified that Trump kissed and groped her on an airplane in 1978 or 1979. Natasha Stoynoff, the other woman, said Trump pushed her against a wall and kissed her while she was interviewing him for People magazine. Trump denies both women’s allegations.
The appeals court concluded that the testimony from these women, along with the tape, allowed the jury to reasonably infer that Trump had a pattern of inappropriate behavior with women, supporting Carroll’s claims.
The court wrote, “Mr. Trump’s statements in the tape, together with the testimony of Ms. Leeds and Ms. Stoynoff, establish a repeated, idiosyncratic pattern of conduct consistent with what Ms. Carroll alleged.”
Carroll’s lawsuits against Trump have been among the most high-profile civil cases he has faced.
