Trump posts $91 million bond in appeal of E. Jean Carroll defamation verdict
Former President Donald Trump has posted a $91.63 million bond as he appeals a jury's verdict that he sexually abused and defamed writer E. Jean Carroll in the 1990s.
The bond, which was secured by a lien on his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida, is required by New York law to cover the damages and interest awarded to Carroll by the jury last month.
Carroll, a former Elle magazine columnist, sued Trump in 2019, accusing him of raping her in a dressing room at Bergdorf Goodman department store in Manhattan in late 1995 or early 1996.
The former Elle columnist also claimed that Trump defamed her by calling her a liar and saying he had never met her, despite a photo showing them together at a party in 1987.
Trump has denied the allegations and said the case was politically motivated. He did not testify at the trial, which took place in federal court in Manhattan in November.
His lawyers argued that Carroll's story was inconsistent, implausible, and contradicted by witnesses.
They also challenged the DNA evidence that Carroll presented from the dress she wore on the day of the alleged assault.
The jury, however, sided with Carroll and found Trump liable for both sexual abuse and defamation.
They awarded her $5 million in damages, including $2.03 million for battery and $2.97 million for defamation.
The jury also found that Trump acted with malice, oppression, or fraud, which could allow the judge to increase the damages.Trump's lawyers have filed a notice of appeal, arguing that the verdict was against the weight of the evidence, that the judge made erroneous rulings, and that the jury was biased.
They also contend that Trump was immune from the lawsuit because he was acting in his official capacity as president when he made the defamatory statements.
Carroll's lawyers have praised the jury's verdict as a historic victory for survivors of sexual violence and a message to powerful men that they are not above the law.
They have also urged the judge to deny Trump's request for a new trial and to award Carroll punitive damages and attorney's fees.
The appeal process could take months or even years to resolve, depending on the court's schedule and the parties' motions. In the meantime, Carroll has said she is relieved and grateful that the jury believed her and that she hopes her case will inspire other women to come forward with their stories.
