A significant ruling occurred on Monday when a federal appeals court dismissed former President Donald Trump's appeal concerning the defamation verdict issued in favor of writer E. Jean Carroll. This decision leaves Trump liable for a staggering $83 million judgment. In the ruling, the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals stated, “We conclude that Trump has failed to identify any grounds that would warrant reconsidering our prior holding on presidential immunity.”
The appellate court further affirmed that the district court acted appropriately in all challenged rulings, declaring that the jury's damages awards were indeed fair and reasonable. The three-judge panel highlighted the district court's findings regarding Trump's conduct, noting that "the degree of reprehensibility" was exceptionally high, possibly unprecedented. This remark pertains specifically to the punitive damages awarded against Trump.
Trump's legal team contended that the defamation verdict needed to be overturned, arguing it severely undermines the presidency and constitutes a grave miscarriage of justice. In contrast, Carroll's legal representatives urged the appeals court to uphold the jury's decision, emphasizing that no one, including the president, is above the law. NBC News has sought comments from both Trump and Carroll's representatives regarding the ruling.
A New York jury issued the original verdict in January of last year, awarding Carroll $83.3 million in damages after finding that Trump had repeatedly defamed her during his presidency and thereafter. The financial burden on Trump has only increased post-verdict due to New York's 9% annual interest rate on such awards. Trump first labeled Carroll a liar in 2019 after she publicly accused him of sexually assaulting her in the dressing room of a Manhattan department store during the mid-1990s.
In response to Trump's denials and characterizations of her claims as a hoax, Carroll initiated two separate lawsuits against him. The first lawsuit, which resulted in the $83 million verdict, focused on Trump's defamatory statements made while he was still in office. While that case was under appeal, Carroll filed a second lawsuit regarding defamatory comments made after Trump left the White House, as well as the alleged assault itself. This second action was made possible due to a new New York law allowing adult victims of sexual offenses to file civil suits, even if the statute of limitations had expired.
In the second trial, which concluded in May 2023, the jury found Trump liable for both sexually abusing Carroll and defaming her, awarding her an additional $5 million in damages. Trump's attorneys unsuccessfully challenged the findings in their appeal, arguing that Trump was protected by presidential immunity when he made the initial defamatory comments. They claimed that these statements were made in his official capacity as president.
Trump’s legal team insisted that statements made through official White House channels fall within the scope of presidential duties. However, Carroll's attorneys argued that Trump’s comments were related to his personal conduct rather than his official responsibilities. They claimed that Trump’s defamation stemmed from Carroll's public revelation of the alleged assault, which occurred before he took office.
Ultimately, the appeals court rejected Trump's arguments regarding immunity and found the jury's punitive damages award to be justified. The court noted that the unique and egregious circumstances of the case warranted such an award. They concluded that Trump's actions demonstrated malice and deceit, causing Carroll significant emotional distress over a prolonged period.
The 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals also upheld the previous $5 million verdict stemming from Carroll's first lawsuit, which Trump is now appealing to the Supreme Court. Throughout this legal battle, Trump has consistently denied Carroll’s allegations and any wrongdoing.
