A federal judge has ordered the immediate release of nearly $5.8 million in damages and interest to writer E. Jean Carroll, rejecting former President Donald Trump's request to keep the funds frozen while he appeals to the Supreme Court. U.S. District Judge Lewis Kaplan directed the clerk of court to disburse the original $5 million awarded by a New York jury, along with accrued post-judgment interest, to Carroll's attorneys.
The order was issued shortly after Trump's lawyers argued that the money should remain in escrow due to a pending petition for the Supreme Court to reconsider its decision regarding the case. Trump's attorneys stated that collection should not begin while proceedings are ongoing.
Judge Kaplan granted Carroll's motion without addressing the merits of Trump's rehearing request, ordering the release of both the principal judgment and interest. Trump's rehearing petition, filed on the same day, seeks to revisit the case based on his 2019 statements about Carroll, which he argues should be protected under presidential immunity.
Carroll's attorney, Roberta Kaplan, contended that the Supreme Court's previous denial of Trump's appeal marked the end of the appeals process and that further delays in releasing the funds were unnecessary. The disbursement order allows Carroll's attorneys to receive the nearly $5.8 million while Trump's rehearing request is still pending before the Supreme Court.