A federal judge has ordered the release of more than $5 million to E. Jean Carroll, rejecting President Donald Trump’s request to delay payment while he continues efforts to challenge the verdict before the United States Supreme Court.
The decision marks another significant development in the long-running legal battle between Trump and the former magazine columnist, whose civil lawsuit resulted in a jury finding that the president sexually abused and later defamed her. Although Trump continues to deny the allegations, the latest ruling clears the way for Carroll to receive the judgment awarded by the court.
Judge Rejects Trump’s Request to Delay Payment
Federal Judge Lewis Kaplan ruled that there was no legal basis to continue withholding the funds after the Supreme Court recently declined to hear Trump’s earlier appeal challenging the jury’s verdict. Trump’s legal team had requested that the money remain frozen until the nation’s highest court decided whether it would reconsider that decision.
The judge, however, rejected the request, allowing the release of the funds to proceed despite Trump’s renewed efforts before the Supreme Court.
Soon after the ruling, Trump filed a notice confirming his intention to appeal the decision, signaling that the legal dispute is far from over.
Trump’s Lawyers Warn of Irreparable Financial Loss
Trump’s legal team argued that delaying payment would not unfairly affect E. Jean Carroll, insisting that any temporary postponement could easily be compensated through interest if the judgment ultimately remained in place.
According to the president’s attorneys, the greater risk lies with Trump because Carroll has publicly indicated that she intends to donate any money she receives from him. They argued that once the funds are distributed to third parties, recovering them would become virtually impossible if the judgment is later overturned.
Trump’s representatives maintained that releasing the money before all appeals have been exhausted would cause irreversible financial harm.
Carroll Seeks Immediate Enforcement of Judgment
Lawyers representing E. Jean Carroll requested the release of the funds after the Supreme Court declined to review Trump’s previous appeal. They argued that the legal process had already run its course regarding that aspect of the case and that there was no justification for further delaying enforcement of the judgment.
Although Carroll’s legal team did not immediately issue a public statement following Wednesday’s ruling, the decision represents another legal victory for the former journalist, who has prevailed in multiple court proceedings against the president.
Another Defamation Case Still Pending
The latest ruling relates to only one of two successful lawsuits filed by E. Jean Carroll against Trump.
In a separate case, another jury awarded Carroll $83 million in damages after determining that Trump repeatedly defamed her through public statements made in 2022. Trump has indicated that he also plans to ask the Supreme Court to review that judgment before the filing deadline later this month.
If accepted, that appeal could create another major legal battle between the two sides, although the Supreme Court has so far shown little willingness to revisit the earlier verdict.
Legal Battle Continues Despite Latest Ruling
The dispute between Donald Trump and E. Jean Carroll has become one of the most closely watched civil cases involving the president, attracting widespread political and legal attention across the United States.
While Trump continues to describe the lawsuits as politically motivated and insists he has done nothing wrong, Carroll has consistently argued that the court decisions validate her claims and hold the president accountable under the law.
With Trump now appealing Judge Kaplan’s latest order and preparing another Supreme Court petition involving the separate $83 million judgment, the legal conflict remains active. Nevertheless, Wednesday’s decision means E. Jean Carroll is now one step closer to receiving the more than $5 million awarded in the first case, even as further appeals continue through the American court system.
