Topline
E. Jean Carroll wants a federal judge to force President Donald Trump to pay her the more than $5 million he owes her—claiming the president is still trying to delay the payment after the Supreme Court rejected his case—and the writer could get her money in the next few weeks, as the judge ruled Wednesday to speed up deadlines in the dispute.
E. Jean Carroll attends a screening of “Ask E. Jean” at IFC Center on May 21 in New York City.
Getty Images
Key Facts
Trump was ordered in 2023 to pay Carroll $5 million plus interest for defaming and abusing her, but that payment has been on hold as he’s appealed the judgment—a process that ended on Monday, when the Supreme Court said it would not take up the case, leaving the $5 million judgment intact.
Carroll’s attorneys on Tuesday told the judge overseeing the case that Trump’s lawyers had asked for the payment to be delayed while the president decides whether to ask the Supreme Court to reconsider its decision—which the court does in only extremely rare cases, and there’s no reason to believe Trump’s request would be granted.
Carroll’s attorneys opposed that request and asked Judge Lewis A. Kaplan to order Trump to pay Carroll immediately, as the previous agreement they reached said the money would be paid out if the Supreme Court rejected Trump’s case.
They also asked Kaplan to speed up the timeline for submitting filings in the dispute by ordering Trump to respond to their request within seven days, rather than the usual 14.
Kaplan agreed to that request Wednesday, ordering Trump to respond to Carroll by July 7, and for her lawyers to respond to his filing three days after that.
If the court agrees with Carroll that the money must be paid now and cannot be further delayed, that means the writer could receive the funds as soon as mid-July, depending on how quickly it takes the judge to rule.
Big Number
$5.8 million. That’s how much Trump owes Carroll in total, according to her attorneys, between the original $5 million judgment and $779,783 that’s accrued in interest as of Tuesday. Trump has already paid most of that money, $5.5 million, into a court-controlled account that will be given over to Carroll, but he would still owe her the additional interest that’s accrued.
Crucial Quote
“To date, Carroll has agreed to each of Defendant’s many requests to delay the payment he owes her,” Carroll’s attorneys wrote in their request to the judge Tuesday, referring to Trump. “Given the extraordinary lengths he has taken to avoid such payments and that each of those efforts has been denied in full, that cooperation ends today. It is time for him to pay Carroll.
Big Number
$5.8 million. That’s how much Trump owes Carroll in total, according to her attorneys, between the original $5 million judgment and $779,783 that’s accrued in interest as of Tuesday. Trump has already paid most of that money, $5.5 million, into a court-controlled account that will be given over to Carroll, but he would still owe her the additional interest that’s accrued.
Crucial Quote
“To date, Carroll has agreed to each of Defendant’s many requests to delay the payment he owes her,” Carroll’s attorneys wrote in their request to the judge Tuesday, referring to Trump. “Given the extraordinary lengths he has taken to avoid such payments and that each of those efforts has been denied in full, that cooperation ends today. It is time for him to pay Carroll.”
What to Watch for
It’s unclear how long it could take Kaplan to rule on whether Trump has to pay Carroll right away, and it remains to be seen if Trump could ultimately ask the Supreme Court to consider the case again. The $5 million case is one of two lawsuits that Carroll brought against Trump, and he’s also been ordered to pay her $83.3 million plus interest in the other case. That payment is also on hold as the case has been appealed. Trump’s lawyers have said they plan to ask the Supreme Court to take up the issue, but nothing has yet been formally filed, and it’s unclear how long it could be before any money in that case could be paid out.
Forbes Valuation
Forbes estimates Trump’s net worth at $6 billion as of Wednesday afternoon, making the $5.8 million he owes Carroll—and the $83.3 million in the other case—only a small percentage of his total wealth.
Key Background
Carroll alleged Trump raped her in the 1990s in a Bergdorf Goodman dressing room, which Trump has long denied. When Carroll went public with her allegations in 2019, Trump immediately responded by criticizing the writer—claiming she was not “my type”—which prompted Carroll to sue him for defamation. The case that resulted in the $5 million judgment was actually the second case Carroll filed against Trump, under New York’s Adult Survivors Act, but was the first one to go to trial after the other litigation got tied up. A jury in May 2023 found Trump liable for defamation and assault, but did not find him liable for rape. A different jury then heard the second case in January 2024, which was only for defamation, and awarded Carroll the $83.3 million judgment. Trump has continued attacks against Carroll, even after being ordered to pay millions for his other comments, and Carroll’s attorneys have not ruled out bringing further litigation. The president has decried the litigation against him as a “witch hunt” and appealed both rulings to higher courts, but all appeals courts have so far ruled against him.
Further Reading
Supreme Court Rejects Trump’s Request To Take Up E. Jean Carroll Case (Forbes)
Billionaire Reid Hoffman Blasts Trump’s E. Jean Carroll Probe As He Becomes A Target (Forbes)
What to Watch for
It’s unclear how long it could take Kaplan to rule on whether Trump has to pay Carroll right away, and it remains to be seen if Trump could ultimately ask the Supreme Court to consider the case again. The $5 million case is one of two lawsuits that Carroll brought against Trump, and he’s also been ordered to pay her $83.3 million plus interest in the other case. That payment is also on hold as the case has been appealed. Trump’s lawyers have said they plan to ask the Supreme Court to take up the issue, but nothing has yet been formally filed, and it’s unclear how long it could be before any money in that case could be paid out.
Forbes Valuation
Forbes estimates Trump’s net worth at $6 billion as of Wednesday afternoon, making the $5.8 million he owes Carroll—and the $83.3 million in the other case—only a small percentage of his total wealth.
Key Background
Carroll alleged Trump raped her in the 1990s in a Bergdorf Goodman dressing room, which Trump has long denied. When Carroll went public with her allegations in 2019, Trump immediately responded by criticizing the writer—claiming she was not “my type”—which prompted Carroll to sue him for defamation. The case that resulted in the $5 million judgment was actually the second case Carroll filed against Trump, under New York’s Adult Survivors Act, but was the first one to go to trial after the other litigation got tied up. A jury in May 2023 found Trump liable for defamation and assault, but did not find him liable for rape. A different jury then heard the second case in January 2024, which was only for defamation, and awarded Carroll the $83.3 million judgment. Trump has continued attacks against Carroll, even after being ordered to pay millions for his other comments, and Carroll’s attorneys have not ruled out bringing further litigation. The president has decried the litigation against him as a “witch hunt” and appealed both rulings to higher courts, but all appeals courts have so far ruled against him.
Further Reading
Supreme Court Rejects Trump’s Request To Take Up E. Jean Carroll Case (Forbes)
Billionaire Reid Hoffman Blasts Trump’s E. Jean Carroll Probe As He Becomes A Target (Forbes)