E. Jean Carroll has now collected more than $5.6 million from Donald Trump, the money a federal jury awarded after finding the former president liable for sexually abusing and defaming her. Court records show the cash was released from a court-controlled account this month, nudging a yearslong fight over the judgment closer to the finish line. The payout covers the 2023 verdict but does not end Carroll’s wider legal war with Trump.
How the payment was recorded
A recent court order shows that $5,625,005.48 was disbursed on July 9 to the IOLTA account of Kaplan Martin LLP, the law firm representing Carroll. The transfer is documented in the case docket on Justia Dockets & Filings.
Why the court released the funds now
U.S. District Judge Lewis A. Kaplan authorized the payment on July 8, after the U.S. Supreme Court declined on June 29 to take up Trump’s appeal. That refusal triggered earlier stipulations that allowed Carroll to collect. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit also rejected an emergency bid to halt the transfer, clearing the way for the money to move out of the court registry, as reported by The Guardian.
Carroll's statement and Trump's response
Carroll’s attorney Roberta Kaplan said, "Today, we are pleased to report that she has received the damages payment the jury awarded her as a result of that verdict," in a statement to CNBC. A person close to Carroll confirmed that the funds were transferred to her. Trump’s lawyers did not immediately respond to requests for comment, according to the filing and news reports.
Where this leaves the broader litigation
The payment satisfies the roughly $5 million verdict from the 2023 trial, plus post-judgment interest, yet it leaves a separate and much larger defamation award and other appeals untouched. For a deeper look at that part of the case, see how a federal court upheld $83.3M defamation judgment against Trump. More filings are expected as both sides keep pressing the claims still alive in court.
