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Trump, DOJ ask Supreme Court to overturn E. Jean Carroll verdict
CNBC • • nation
Key Points:
- President Donald Trump and the Department of Justice have separately petitioned the Supreme Court to overturn an $83.3 million civil verdict ordering Trump to pay writer E. Jean Carroll for defamation related to his denial of her sexual assault claims from the mid-1990s.
- Trump's lawyers argue he has presidential immunity from the defamation claim since his statements were made in 2019 while he was in office, marking the first case in U.S. history holding a president liable for conduct during their term.
- The DOJ contends it should have been allowed to substitute the U.S. government as defendant under the Westfall Act, which protects federal employees from certain civil claims for official conduct, potentially leading to dismissal of the case.
- This petition follows the Supreme Court's recent refusal to hear Trump's appeal of a separate $5 million verdict in favor of Carroll, related to the same allegations, which Trump has already paid along with accrued interest.
- The $83.3 million verdict was upheld by the 2nd Circuit Court of Appeals after a January 2024 jury ruling found Trump liable for defaming Carroll when she publicly accused him of rape in 2019.
