Donald Trump Ordered to Pay $5 Million in Sexual Assault Case

A New York appeals court upheld a civil judgment against the president-elect for a 1996 sexual assault and subsequent defamation of Elizabeth Jean Carroll.

The New York appeals court confirmed Donald Trump's responsibility for a sexual assault in 1996 and defamatory statements made against Elizabeth Jean Carroll, awarding her $5 million in damages.
The case stems from allegations by Carroll, a former journalist, who accused Trump of assaulting her in a New York department store and later defaming her when she went public with the claims in 2019.
This decision follows a May 2023 federal civil judgment that found Trump liable for $2 million for sexual assault and $3 million for defamation, which he unsuccessfully appealed.
Carroll has also been awarded $83.3 million in a separate defamation case related to the same assault; Trump has appealed that ruling as well.
Despite the civil liabilities, Trump's broader legal challenges have eased following the dismissal of several federal criminal cases, though he remains entangled in other civil and financial fraud lawsuits.