Donald Trump Ordered To Pay $83.3 Million In Defamation Case

Jean Carroll, an American journalist was awarded $83.3 million in a stinging and expensive rebuke to former President Donald Trump, for his continued social media attacks against the journalist. The verdict came after the longtime advice columnist claimed that Trump sexually assaulted her in a Manhattan department store.

Trump must pay Carroll $88.3 million, coupled a $5 million on a sexual assault and defamation verdict last year form another jury in the case filed by her. Donald Trump protested against the ruling and said he would appeal. The civil order from the federal court exceeds the more than $10 million in damages sought by Carroll.

In a statement, 80-year-old Carroll said the verdict was a great victory for every woman who stands up “when she has been knocked down, and a huge defeat for every bully who has tried to keep a woman down”.

Donald Trump has attended the hearing earlier, but stormed out from the courtroom during the hearing of the closing argument from Jean Carroll’s attorney. He then returned during his attorney’s closing argument, but left half an hour before the verdict was read.

This is the second time in nine months that a civil jury returned the verdict to Carroll’s claim that a flirtatious, chance encounter at Bergdorf Goodman’s Fifth Avenue store with Trump in 1996 has ended violently.

Shortly after the verdict, in a statement, Trump called it “absolutely ridiculous”. He said the legal system is out of control and is being used as a political weapon. His attorney, Alina Habba said such verdict came because Trump’s opponents were suing him “in states where they know they will get juries like this”.

The order comprised of $65 million in punitive damages after the jury found that the former President acted maliciously in his several public comment about the journalist, $7.3 million as compensatory damages and $11 million for reputational repair program.

The verdict came as Donald Trump is marching towards winning the Republican presidential nomination for a third consecutive time. Reportedly, Trump has used his various trials and legal vulnerabilities as an advantage by claiming them as evidence of a weaponised political system.

Including Carroll civil case, Trump faces 91 criminal charges in four indictments, accusing him of trying to overturn the 2020 Presidential election, mishandling classified documents and arranging payoffs to a porn star.