Donald Trump must pay E. Jean Carroll $83.3 million in damages. He described the verdict as a “witch hunt.”
Former US President Donald Trump (77) has to pay journalist E. Jean Carroll (80) $83.3 million (the equivalent of around 76.7 million euros) in damages for defamation. A New York jury decided this on Friday in the second civil trial.
The new damages verdict followed an arbitration award of around five million dollars (the equivalent of around 4.6 euros) against Trump last May, when another New York jury found him guilty of sexually abusing Carroll in a department store dressing room in the mid-1990s blamed for years.
As “Sky News” also reports, Carroll is said to have smiled when the verdict was read out. Trump had already left the building in his motorcade. Outside court, Carroll made no comment, according to The Guardian, and again only smiled as her lawyers escorted her to a waiting car.
Trump responds in writing
From his plane, Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform: “Absolutely ridiculous! I absolutely disagree with both rulings and will appeal against this entire witch hunt directed by Biden (current US President, ed.) against me and the Republican Party .”
Further proceedings are pending
Donald Trump faces 91 additional criminal charges, including election interference, withholding classified information and paying hush money. There are also civil lawsuits over his business affairs and attempts to disqualify him from the elections for inciting riots through his supporters’ attack on Congress on January 6.
Nevertheless, he has so far dominated the Republican Party and its presidential primaries.
