Reports suggest that on Thursday the federal judge who oversaw writer E. Jean Carroll’s defamation case against former President Donald Trump rejected to delay his payment of the $83 million award she was awarded, dealing a significant blow to him via Conservative Brief.
JUST IN: Donald Trump has posted a $91.6 million bond in the E. Jean Carroll defamation case.
Trump had to pay the money even though he is appealing the case. If he wins the case in appeals court, he can get the money back.
Unfortunately for Trump, he still has to fork up… pic.twitter.com/icDWnsx3iK
— Collin Rugg (@CollinRugg) March 8, 2024
It is noted that the former president, who is widely expected to secure the GOP nomination, has launched initiatives to delay the rulings in both Carroll’s lawsuit and the New York attorney general’s extensive fraud prosecution. Trump currently faces the prospect of major financial penalties totaling hundreds of millions of dollars across these two civil cases, The Hill reported.
It has been noted that Thursday’s ruling deals a blow to Trump by keeping default rules that could facilitate the enforcement of the judgment in Carroll’s lawsuit as soon as next week. It effectively sets a deadline for Trump to post a bond, the outlet noted further.
“Mr. Trump’s current situation is a result of his own dilatory actions,” U.S. District Judge Lewis Kaplan wrote in the ruling.
The Hill added:
A federal jury sitting in New York ordered Trump to pay the eight-figure sum for defaming Carroll by denying her story when she came forward in 2019 to accuse the then-president of sexual assault decades earlier. Last year, a separate jury had found Trump liable for sexually abusing the advice columnist.
Under standard practice, Trump’s lawyers have said Trump’s bond amount would total $91.63 million as he appeals the January verdict.
As per the report, Trump has recently submitted motions asking for a new trial or a decrease in damages. Kaplan was nominated to the bench by former President Clinton, and Trump encouraged him to delay the decision until 30 days after deciding on those motions. Trump also suggested cutting the bond amount to $24.475 million.
Regarding Trump’s request for a delay, Kaplan has not yet made a decision. But on Thursday, the judge turned down Trump’s most recent request for an administrative stay to extend the deadline until Saturday.
“This is a continuation of a totally lawless witch hunt,” Trump campaign spokesman Steven Cheung said in a statement. “President Trump filed a timely motion to stay the ridiculous judgment, and many courts, including the Second Circuit, recognize the importance of temporary administrative stays while such motions are considered. We look forward to continuing to litigate the case and to complete vindication of the truth.”
