A federal appeals court has ruled that former President Donald Trump does not have to pay an $83 million defamation award to writer E. Jean Carroll until the Supreme Court either reviews the case or declines to take it up. The 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in New York issued the order Monday, pausing enforcement of the judgment while Trump pursues further appellate review.
The court granted the stay with Carroll’s consent, on the condition that Trump increase the bond by $7.46 million to cover interest that would accrue during anticipated legal proceedings. The total bond now exceeds $91 million. Carroll’s attorney, Roberta Kaplan, said she was “pleased that the Second Circuit conditioned the stay on President Trump posting a bond of nearly $100 million,” according to NBC News.
Trump’s legal team is also seeking to have the federal government substituted as the defendant in the case, citing a federal law that generally shields the government from defamation claims. If successful, this could effectively end Carroll’s lawsuit. A previous request to rehear arguments on this strategy was denied by the appeals court last month.
The underlying defamation case stems from Carroll’s 2019 allegations that Trump sexually assaulted her in a department store dressing room in the 1990s. A jury ruled in Carroll’s favor in 2024, finding that Trump defamed her by repeatedly denying the allegations. Trump’s attorneys have asked the Supreme Court to review the verdict, arguing that the claims are “facially implausible” and politically motivated, and challenging evidentiary rulings that allowed certain testimony and recordings, including the 2005 “Access Hollywood” tape.
Carroll has also brought separate legal claims against Trump, and he has repeatedly denied all allegations, describing the case as a “complete con job.” Trump stated in 2022 that he does not know Carroll and called her “not my type,” while Carroll maintains that he sexually assaulted her. The Supreme Court is scheduled to consider his petition as part of its review of multiple cases.