Author E to Donald Trump. Convicted in defamation case against Jean Carroll: He must pay her another USD 83.3 million

Former American President Donald Trump He was ordered this Friday to pay $83.3 million to the author E. Jean Carroll for defaming her after she accused him of rape in 2019.

Friday’s verdict was the second time in nine months that a jury addressed Carroll’s claim that Trump assaulted her in 1996 at a New York City department store. Last May, another jury found Trump liable for sexual assault and ordered him to pay. 5 million dollars.

This sum, much higher than the 10 million claimed by the author and journalist, is divided into 65 million dollars for damages and interest, 11 million for compensation for harm to her reputation and 7.3 million for financial compensation.

After just two hours of deliberation, the jury concluded that Carroll had suffered more than “minor harm” and that Trump had acted as such. “Malice, malice, ill will, or in spite of, in retaliation, or indifference, recklessly or intentionally”

Against the writer and former journalist.

“Absolutely ridiculous!… I will appeal,” he responded on his Truth Social platform, where he described the trial as a “witch hunt” orchestrated by Democratic President Joe Biden to prevent his return to the White House in a re-election bid. November. He also attacked “extrajudicial control”.

In May of last year, another jury convicted the Republican of sexual assault and defamation, ordering him to pay $5 million to Carroll. The businessman appealed against the verdict.

The former president (2017-2021) stormed out of the courtroom after the prosecution presented its closing arguments on Friday morning before returning when it was his lawyer’s turn to defend his case.

The investigating judge, Louis Kaplan, advised the jurors, whose names remain anonymous throughout the proceedings, to remain anonymous. “My advice is never to reveal that you were on this jury.”said.

Carroll, an 80-year-old author and journalist, is seeking $10 million from Republicans for damage to her reputation following statements made in 2019 by the then-president, following the publication of a book and an article in which she claimed the real estate publication. He raped her in a department store in the 1990s.

Trump, who has often called the journalist “moronic” or “sick”, then said the journalist was “not his type” and that he had invented the rape to “sell his new book”. “It destroyed my reputation.”The author maintained at trial.

“The man who sexually assaulted (Carroll) does whatever he wants, lies, defames,” one of the author’s lawyers said in closing arguments.

“He continues to use his huge platform to hurt her (…) and can you imagine what his followers do? “They haven’t stopped chasing him,” he added. The question is “How much money would it cost me to stop doing that,” he said.

By morning, Trump had already sent a barrage of messages against the judge, the plaintiff and his attorney.

Between 1995 and 1996, after comparing the case to Monica Lewinsky, an intern who had a sexual relationship with then-President Bill Clinton, he reiterated that E. Jean Carroll, “He who was in despair and failed in life (…) has got the money and fame he wanted.”

“A president of the United States was impeached for doing nothing to an unknown woman, to him, who sought fame, fortune and publicity for her ridiculous book,” Trump said, angrily lashing out at the judicial system, saying the trial was ” Anarchy”.

Faced with pressure to take the stand to defend himself, Trump was finally able to do so on Thursday, but the investigating judge limited his intervention to three questions to which he had to answer yes or no.

“He says something that I believe to be false.”Trump said before Kaplan cut him off.

“This is not the United States,” the billionaire shouted as he left the courtroom, visibly angry.

This is one of the multiple judicial fronts that await the former president in the election race this year.

There are 91 criminal charges pending against him in various courts, most of which relate to his efforts to stay in power four years ago after the elections won by Democrat Joe Biden, whose victory remains unknown.

(With information from AFP)