Former President Donald Trump has petitioned the U.S. Supreme Court to reconsider its refusal to hear his appeal of a $5 million judgment awarded to writer E. Jean Carroll. The court declined to take up Trump's challenge on June 29, leaving him liable for damages after a jury found him responsible for sexually abusing and defaming Carroll in a 2023 civil verdict. With accrued interest, the total amount owed has grown to nearly $5.8 million.
Trump's lawyers argue that a rehearing is warranted because he plans to file a new petition raising questions about presidential immunity for official statements. They cite a June 2025 dissent by Judge Steven Menashi of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit, who criticized the case's evidentiary rulings. Meanwhile, Carroll's legal team has urged a federal judge to release the funds from an escrow account, as the Supreme Court's denial of Trump's initial appeal should have triggered payment.
Legal Proceedings and Deadlines
U.S. District Judge Lewis Kaplan denied Trump's request for additional time to respond to Carroll's demand for payment, maintaining a July 7 deadline. Trump's attorneys argue that the money cannot be released while the Supreme Court considers his rehearing petition, citing an agreement that holds $5.5 million in escrow as security. The Supreme Court rarely grants such requests after denying an initial petition.
Background and Context
The case stems from Carroll's allegations that Trump raped her in a Manhattan department store in the mid-1990s. The jury found Trump liable for both sexual abuse and defamation after he denied the allegations. Trump listed the verdict as a liability in his 2025 financial disclosure report. The legal battle has drawn attention to broader questions about presidential immunity and the limits of defamation lawsuits against public figures.