President Trump has transferred $5.625 million to E. Jean Carroll after exhausting all appeals of a 2023 jury verdict that found him liable for sexual assault and defamation, setting the stage for a far larger $83.3 million payout unless the Supreme Court intervenes.

Payment Follows Supreme Court Refusal

The payment, confirmed Tuesday through court records, came after the Supreme Court declined to hear Trump’s legal challenges to the May 2023 verdict. A jury found Trump liable for sexually assaulting Carroll in a Bergdorf Goodman dressing room in 1996 and later defaming her by claiming she fabricated the story to sell books. The funds had been held in a trust account during Trump’s unsuccessful appeals.

Carroll’s attorney Roberta Kaplan stated that her client, now 82, has received the damages awarded by the unanimous nine-person jury. Carroll testified that Trump, now 80, forcibly penetrated her with his fingers after cornering her in the Fifth Avenue department store’s lingerie section. Trump has consistently denied the encounter occurred.

Larger Verdict Awaits Appeal Decision

The initial verdict found Trump liable for sexual abuse under the civil standard of preponderance of evidence, though jurors cleared him of rape charges since digital assaults did not legally constitute rape in New York at that time. The state updated its rape law in September 2024 to include such attacks. A second jury later awarded Carroll $83.3 million in a separate defamation trial after Trump continued publicly attacking her credibility.

That second verdict broke down to $65 million for defaming Carroll out of spite, $11 million for reputation repair, and $7.3 million for pain and suffering. Trump posted a $91.6 million bond through Chubb insurance to cover the judgment plus interest while appealing. The Second Circuit upheld the verdict in September 2025, and Trump’s legal team now seeks Supreme Court intervention.

What This Means

The Supreme Court’s refusal to reconsider the smaller verdict may signal trouble for Trump’s attempt to overturn the larger judgment. Trump’s legal spokesman called the cases Democrat-funded witch hunts and hoaxes, insisting the president will continue winning against what they term liberal lawfare. The payment represents one of the most significant civil penalties Trump has faced during his political career, with the potential for a substantially larger payout on the horizon depending on the Supreme Court’s decision.