Supreme Court Rejects Trump Appeal in E. Jean Carroll Case

The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday declined to hear President Donald Trump’s appeal of a court ruling that found he sexually abused and defamed writer E. Jean Carroll, leaving intact the $5 million judgment awarded to Carroll. The court issued the decision without explanation and did not indicate whether any of the justices supported taking up the case.

The case stems from a 2023 jury verdict that concluded Trump sexually abused Carroll in a dressing room at Bergdorf Goodman during the 1990s and later defamed her after she publicly disclosed the allegations. The jury did not find Trump liable for rape. An appeals court later upheld the verdict, prompting Trump to ask the Supreme Court to review the case, arguing that Carroll’s allegations were “implausible” and “politically motivated.”

With the Supreme Court declining to hear the appeal, the $5 million judgment remains in effect, along with accrued interest. The decision brings the legal proceedings in that case to an end, leaving no further avenue of appeal.

The ruling does not affect Carroll’s separate defamation lawsuit against Trump, in which a jury awarded her $83.3 million after finding he repeatedly defamed her. Trump’s legal team has said it intends to ask the Supreme Court to review that judgment as well, although no appeal has yet been filed.

Following Monday’s decision, Trump’s attorneys criticized the litigation as a “witch hunt” and said the president “will keep winning against Liberal Lawfare.” Trump also posted on Truth Social that the “Injustice” of the ruling “cannot be allowed to stand,” pledging to “continue the fight against this Weaponization and Lawfare Case against me, including the ridiculous claim of Defamation, with all of my power and strength.” He further argued that Carroll’s lawsuit “is really against the United States of America, and all it stands for, and should never be allowed to happen to another President, or Candidate to be!”

The Supreme Court’s action comes as the Trump administration is reportedly investigating funding connected to Carroll’s litigation. The U.S. Department of Justice is examining billionaire Reid Hoffman and his nonprofit American Future Republic, which helped finance Carroll’s legal case. The funding drew attention because Carroll did not initially disclose it during a 2022 deposition, although she later informed the court after recalling that her legal team had secured additional financial support from the nonprofit. Trump’s lawyers unsuccessfully argued that the funding issue justified dismissing the case. While early reports suggested Carroll herself was under investigation for possible perjury, the Justice Department said it “never opened” an investigation into her. Sources cited by The New York Times later clarified that the inquiry focuses on Hoffman and his nonprofit. Hoffman responded on X last month, calling the allegations “absurdly false” and stating, “The premise of the investigation would be laughable if the subject matter weren’t so serious.”

Carroll first accused Trump of sexually assaulting her in 2019, alleging in her book, excerpted by New York Magazine, that the incident occurred in a Bergdorf Goodman dressing room during the 1990s. Trump has consistently denied the allegations, saying Carroll was “not my type.” Carroll subsequently filed two lawsuits, one for defamation and another under New York’s Adult Survivors Act alleging sexual abuse and defamation. The latter resulted in the 2023 jury verdict upheld by the Supreme Court’s decision, while the separate case concluded in January 2024 with the $83.3 million defamation award. Carroll’s attorneys have not ruled out pursuing additional legal action as Trump continues to publicly criticize her.