According to CNBC, former President Donald Trump has put up $5.6 million as security while he appeals a civil verdict in a case involving writer E. Jean Carroll. Carroll accused Trump of sexually abusing her in the 1990s and defaming her later on. The joint stipulation, submitted by Trump’s lawyers and Carroll’s attorneys, states that if Trump loses the appeal, Carroll will collect the $5 million awarded to her by the jury in May, plus any adjusted judgment. However, if Trump wins the appeal, he will receive the security deposit back, along with any interest earned on the funds.
In the event that the case is sent back to the U.S. District Court in Manhattan for further proceedings by the appeals court or Supreme Court, the funds will remain under the court’s control until any award to Carroll becomes final and un-appealable.
The arrangement was approved by Judge Lewis Kaplan. Following the news of the deal, attorney George Conway, a critic of Trump, suggested on Twitter that Trump couldn’t secure an appeal bond from a third party because no one wanted to chase him for the collateral required for the bond. Trump’s lawyer, Joseph Tacopina, denied Conway’s claim, stating that Trump chose not to secure a bond to avoid wasting money on the premium required for the service.
Carroll’s lawsuit alleged that Trump raped her in a dressing room of a department store in the mid-1990s and defamed her in statements he made last fall while denying her allegations. The jury found Trump liable for sexually abusing Carroll but not for raping her, as well as for defamation. Trump has appealed the verdict and has asked for a retrial on the issue of monetary damages.
Separately, Trump faces another lawsuit filed by Carroll, scheduled for trial in January, where she alleges defamation based on comments he made about her after she went public with her rape claims. Trump has been criminally indicted in Miami on charges related to classified documents and has pleaded not guilty. He is also facing criminal charges in New York related to falsifying business records and is under investigation by federal prosecutors for efforts to overturn the 2020 election results.
