A jury in New York found on Tuesday that Donald Trump sexually abused advice columnist E Jean Carroll in a changing room of a New York department store 27 years ago. This verdict marks the first time a former US president has been legally designated as a sexual predator. However, since this is a civil case and not a criminal one, the only legal consequence Trump will face is financial.
The judge explained to the jury that a finding of sexual abuse requires two elements. Firstly, that Trump subjected Carroll to non-consensual sexual contact using force, and secondly, that the act was for the purpose of sexual gratification.
The jury deliberated for less than three hours. It did not find Trump raped Carroll, but did find him liable for sexual abuse.
It awarded about $5m in compensatory and punitive damages: about $2m on the sexual abuse count and close to $3m for defamation, for branding her a liar.
Before the verdict in the highly charged case, the judge, Lewis A Kaplan, warned the courtroom: “No shouting. No jumping up and down. No race for the door.”
After the verdict, as she was escorted to a car, Carroll said: “We’re very happy.”
Tweet from George Conway
George Conway, a conservative lawyer and Trump critic who encouraged Carroll to sue, said on Twitter: “God bless E Jean Carroll and congratulations to Roberta Kaplan [Carroll’s attorney] and her team for a job well done.”
Trump used his Truth Social platform to say: “I have absolutely no idea who this woman is. The verdict is a disgrace – a continuation of the greatest witch hunt of all time.”
In his deposition, released to the public last week, Trump mistook a picture of Carroll in his company for a picture of his second wife, Marla Maples.
On Tuesday, lawyers for Trump issued a statement deriding the case as “bogus” and saying they would appeal “and … ultimately win”.
Politically, Trump has capitalised on his legal woes, leading by wide margins in polling regarding the 2024 Republican presidential nomination. Nonetheless, he faces mounting legal danger.
In New York last month, Trump pleaded not guilty to 34 criminal charges of falsifying business records over a hush-money payment to the porn star Stormy Daniels during the 2016 election.
Trump looks likely to face criminal charges over attempts to overturn the 2020 election in Georgia, and is also the target of a federal investigation into his actions around the election, including his incitement of the US Capitol attack.
A federal special counsel is also investigating the stashing of secret documents at his Florida estate. In New York, Trump faces a civil suit over his business and tax affairs.
In the Carroll case, Carroll’s testimony over three days persuaded a jury composed of three women and six men. She described the events that took place in a changing room of a New York department store in 1996.