Trump Pays E. Jean Carroll $5.62 Million After 2023 Sexual Abuse, Defamation Verdict

Q: With a new perjury probe now underway, could the $5.62 million payment to E. Jean Carroll be clawed back?

Yes, but only in a narrow and difficult scenario. Trump’s $5.62 million payment was made to satisfy a final civil judgment that survived appeal, including a failed bid to get Supreme Court review. That means the money is no longer just being held by the court; it has been disbursed under a valid judgment. A mere perjury investigation would not by itself undo that payment. For the money to be clawed back, investigators or Trump’s lawyers would likely need to prove something much stronger: that material false testimony or fraud tainted the verdict in a way serious enough for a court to reopen or vacate the judgment. In practice, that usually requires more than inconsistencies or a new criminal probe. Courts are generally reluctant to overturn a jury verdict that has already been affirmed on appeal unless there is compelling new evidence of fraud on the court. Even if a perjury case were brought, a criminal investigation is separate from the civil judgment. A perjury charge or even a conviction would not automatically return the money. Trump would still need to go back to civil court and win extraordinary post-judgment relief, then pursue recovery of the funds. So the realistic answer is that a clawback is legally possible in theory, but unlikely unless the probe produces strong, material evidence that directly undermines the basis of the 2023 verdict.

3 articles · Updated · bbc.co.uk · Jul 14

$5.62 million has been transferred to E. Jean Carroll, covering the original $5 million jury award plus interest accrued during Trump's appeals, her lawyers said Tuesday.
A judge ordered the payment last week after Trump sought to delay it while asking the Supreme Court to revisit its refusal to hear his appeal.
The money had been sitting in a court-controlled account since shortly after the 2023 verdict that found Trump liable for sexually abusing Carroll and defaming her in a 2022 Truth Social post.
Carroll, now 82, said Trump attacked her in a Bergdorf Goodman dressing room in the mid-1990s; Trump has denied the allegations, and his lawyers still call the case a hoax.

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bbc.co.uk2h ago

Donald Trump Pays E Jean Carroll Over $5.62M in Damages for Sexual Abuse, Defamation

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With a new perjury probe now underway, could the $5.62 million payment to E. Jean Carroll be clawed back?

After taxes, how much of the $5.62 million award for defamation and abuse will E. Jean Carroll actually keep?

How will this verdict impact future civil lawsuits for historical sexual assault claims against public figures?

Trump Pays E. Jean Carroll $5.62 Million After 2023 Sexual Abuse, Defamation Verdict

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