According to Reuters, former US President Donald Trump must pay $83.3 million in compensation for defaming former journalist E. Jean Carroll.
On January 26 (US time), a jury in Manhattan (New York, USA) consisting of 7 men and 2 women whose identities were kept confidential, took less than 3 hours to reach a verdict after a five-year trial. day in the lawsuit against former US President destroying the reputation of journalist E. Jean Carroll.
As a result, Mr. Trump had to pay $83.3 million in compensation to former journalist and writer E. Jean Carroll. In particular, this compensation includes 18.3 million USD in damages and 65 million USD in fines.
The total compensation amount this time will be 8 times higher than the amount Ms. Carroll requested Mr. Trump to pay in a separate lawsuit last May.
Former President Donald Trump attended most of the trial but was not present in the courtroom to hear the court’s verdict on January 26.
But later, he reacted on the social network Truth Social when the official verdict was announced, announcing that he would appeal: “Absolutely absurd! I completely disagree with both rulings and will appeal in full. This is a witch hunt directed by (President) Biden against me and the Republican party. Legal system “Ours is out of control and being used as a political weapon.”
Meanwhile, the 80-year-old former female journalist and her legal team left the court with radiant faces in a black car. Ms. E. Jean Carroll refused to answer press interview questions immediately after the court announced the verdict.
The dispute began in November 2019, when Ms. Carroll first accused Mr. Trump of sexually assaulting her in a dressing room in Manhattan in 1996.
However, Mr. Trump denied this, affirming that Ms. Carroll’s accusations were “complete lies”. Mr. Trump said he did not know who Carroll was and that she was not his type. In 2022, Ms. Carroll continued to file a lawsuit against Mr. Trump.
In May 2023, Mr. Trump was convicted by court of sexually abusing Ms. Carroll and had to pay $5 million in compensation. But Ms. Carroll’s side continued to adjust the lawsuit and asked the former US President to pay $10 million in compensation.
Although he has repeatedly fallen into legal trouble, Mr. Trump is still the brightest presidential candidate of the Republican Party. This month, he consecutively won the party’s first two primary elections.
