A New York jury on Tuesday did not find President Donald Trump raped a former advice columnist in the mid-1990s but ordered him to pay nearly $5 million in damages for battery and defamation.
The nine-person jury reached their decision unanimously. They deliberated for three hours.
E. Jean Carroll accused Trump of raping her in a New York department store mid-1990s. He denied the accusations, labeling them a “hoax,” and called Carroll a “liar.”
Trump, who did not testify in the civil trial, was ordered to pay $2 million for sexual abuse, $1.7 million for reputation repair damages, and $1 million for malice and injury related to defamation.
Carroll smiled when the verdict was read in court. She did not make a public statement.
Trump reacted on social media. He called the verdict a “total disgrace” and said it was a “continuation of the greatest witch hunt of all time,” in a post on Truth Social.
A lawyer representing Trump told National Public Radio that the former president would appeal the decision.
