Trump and Justice Department ask Supreme Court to toss $83M defamation verdict

Key Points:

• President Donald Trump and the Justice Department have asked the Supreme Court to overturn an $83 million defamation verdict won by E. Jean Carroll, arguing he cannot be sued for comments made while serving as president.
• The Justice Department seeks to apply the Westfall Act, which grants immunity to government employees for actions within their official duties, to protect Trump from personal liability.
• Trump’s lawyers contend that the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals improperly avoided addressing presidential immunity claims and called the damages "grossly excessive," urging Supreme Court review.
• Carroll accused Trump of sexually assaulting her in 1996 and sued for defamation after he denied the allegations and disparaged her publicly; a Manhattan jury awarded her $83 million in January 2024.
• This legal battle follows a previous $5 million verdict against Trump for sexual abuse and defamation related to Carroll’s claims, which Trump is also appealing to the Supreme Court.