Supreme Court declines to overturn $5M verdict against Trump in E Jean Carroll case
This story has been updated to include President Donald Trump's reaction to the Supreme Court's decision.
Update: Shortly after the Supreme Court declined to hear his appeal, President Donald Trump responded to the Supreme Court's decision in a Truth Social post, describing the case as a "Fake Case" brought by "a woman I never met" and reiterating his long-standing denial of the claims against him.
The president said he would continue fighting what he characterized as "weaponization and lawfare," arguing that the lawsuit was based on a "ridiculous claim of defamation" and criticizing New York's Adult Survivors Act.
Trump asserted that the state created "a law, for an instant speck of time," which he claimed was specifically tailored to allow the case to proceed.
Calling the ruling "surprising," he said the Supreme Court had declined to "review" the matter and argued that such cases should not be permitted against a sitting president or future presidential candidates.
Trump concluded by thanking supporters and pledging to continue the legal fight "with truth and power and strength."
WASHINGTON, DC: The Supreme Court on Monday, June 29, declined to hear President Donald Trump's appeal seeking to overturn the $5 million civil judgment in the E Jean Carroll case, allowing the lower court's decision to remain in place.
The justices offered no explanation for declining review, consistent with the court's usual practice.
The decision effectively concludes Trump's appeal in the case while leaving open the possibility of future Supreme Court review in a separate civil judgment involving Carroll.
Supreme Court ends appeal effort
The justices declined to grant Trump's petition after months of consideration, leaving intact the ruling issued by the Second US Circuit Court of Appeals.
That court previously determined there was no legal basis to order a new trial and upheld the district court's judgment.
Because the Supreme Court declined to review the appeal, the appellate court's decision now stands as the final ruling in the $5 million case.
The court did not issue a written opinion explaining why it declined to hear the matter.
Jury verdict remains unchanged
The case stems from a civil lawsuit that proceeded to trial in 2023, where a federal jury awarded Carroll $5 million in damages.
The verdict was later affirmed by the Second Circuit after Trump challenged several of the trial court's evidentiary rulings.
Trump subsequently sought review from the full appellate court before petitioning the Supreme Court. Both efforts were unsuccessful, leaving the original judgment undisturbed.
The separate 2019 defamation lawsuit between the parties later resulted in an $83 million judgment, which remains on a different appellate track.
Trump disputed trial procedures
Throughout the litigation, Trump has consistently denied the allegations underlying the lawsuit and maintained that the proceedings were legally flawed.
His attorneys argued that US District Judge Lewis Kaplan improperly admitted testimony from additional witnesses and allowed jurors to consider evidence that they believed was unfairly prejudicial.
They also challenged the admission of the 2005 'Access Hollywood' recording, contending it should not have been presented during the trial.
In filings before the Supreme Court, Trump's legal team argued the case forced the president to defend against what they described as decades-old false allegations and asserted that the lower courts failed to correct significant legal errors. The justices ultimately declined to review those arguments.
Separate appeal still expected
Although Monday's decision concludes the Supreme Court's review of the $5 million judgment, Trump's legal challenges involving Carroll are not over.
His attorneys are widely expected to petition the Supreme Court to review the separate $83 million civil judgment. That appeal would involve different legal issues and would be considered independently if filed.
