A Manhattan jury found former President Donald J. Trump guilty on Tuesday (9) of sexually abusing and defaming E. Jean Carroll, awarding her $5 million in damages. More than a dozen women have accused Trump of sexual misconduct. For now, this is the only case confirmed by a jury.
The findings are civil, not criminal, meaning Trump was not convicted of any crime and does not face jail time.
In the case, the federal jury, composed of six men and three women, concluded that Carroll, 79, a former writer, had sufficient evidence that Trump sexually abused her nearly 30 years ago in a fitting room at the Bergdorf Goodman department store. However, the jury did not find that he raped her, as she had claimed.
The jury also found that Trump defamed Carroll in October when he posted a statement on his Truth Social platform calling her case “a complete fraud.” The former president’s lawyer stated that he intends to appeal the decision.
In a statement, Carroll said: “I filed this lawsuit against Donald Trump to clear my name and reclaim my life. Today, the world finally knows the truth. This victory is not just for me, but for all women who have suffered because they were not believed.”
In a post on Truth Social after the verdict, Trump continued to insist that he did not know Carroll: “I have absolutely no idea who this woman is. This verdict is a disgrace – a continuation of the greatest witch hunt of all time!” he said.
During the trial, Carroll, a former columnist for Elle magazine who was well-known in Manhattan media circles, testified that the attack occurred after a chance encounter one night at Bergdorf’s. Mr. Trump, she said, asked her to help him buy a gift for a friend.
They ended up in the lingerie section, where he directed her to a fitting room, closed the door, and began to assault her. He pushed her against the wall and, using his weight to pin her down, pulled down her tights and forced his fingers into her vagina and then, she said, his penis.
She pushed him back and managed to escape the store. At the time, she told two friends about the incident but kept the encounter a secret for over 20 years until she revealed it to New York magazine.
Ten witnesses testified during the two-week trial. Two of those witnesses were other women who also accused Trump of sexually assaulting them years ago in a similar manner.
The verdict comes at a time when Trump is facing a barrage of legal actions. In April, he pleaded not guilty to fraud charges stemming from hush money payments to a porn star in New York, where he also faces a civil fraud lawsuit filed by the state attorney general.
Trump is also under investigation in Georgia for attempting to interfere in the 2020 elections, and a federal special prosecutor is examining the discovery of classified documents at Mar-a-Lago, his official residence, as well as his role in the Capitol attack on January 6. Trump has denied wrongdoing in all cases and argued that the lawsuits and investigations are aimed solely at dragging him down.
Source: The New York Times