Just days after posting a staggering $91 million bond in the E. Jean Carroll defamation case, former President Donald Trump has stirred new controversy, potentially jeopardizing his legal stance by reasserting claims that writer E. Jean Carroll fabricated allegations against him. “I just posted a $91 million bond, $91 million on a fake story, totally made-up story,” Trump said at a rally in Georgia, adding that the judgment was, “based on false accusations made about me by a woman that I knew nothing about, didn’t know, never heard of, I know nothing about her.”
The bond, meant to stave off collection efforts while the appeal is in process, encompasses the verdict amount plus additional funds to account for New York’s annual interest rate. While the sum itself is noteworthy, the former President’s subsequent public remarks have captured significant attention. Legal experts suggest these comments could have consequences for Trump’s pending appeal.
MSNBC legal analyst Lisa Rubin indicated that Trump’s repeated denouncements of Carroll, even after the punitive judgment, suggest he was not deterred by the initial award. Rubin emphasized the punitive damage was set at a high level because Trump continued to make defamatory statements after the first judgment. According to Rubin, Carroll’s legal avenues could include opposing the bond or initiating new legal action.
The latest development in the long-running legal saga followed an earlier court decision where a federal jury found Trump liable for defaming Carroll, who accused him of sexual abuse in the 1990s. Trump’s immediate denial of the allegations and subsequent disparaging remarks formed the basis of the defamation case, resulting in the multimillion-dollar verdict against him.
Trump’s lawyers have filed official notice of their intention to appeal the verdict, with the former President also required to deal with a separate, larger $464 million civil fraud judgment in New York state court.
Carroll reacted to the bond’s posting with a touch of irony, suggesting the bond spared her attorney the effort of potentially seizing Trump’s assets directly. Trump’s camp, meanwhile, criticized U.S. District Judge Lewis Kaplan for refusing to delay the defamation judgment, labeling it as part of a “totally lawless witch hunt.”
Trump’s recent rally comments mirror his past assertions, which include denying knowing Carroll and dismissing her claims as a ploy related to her book release. “She wrote a book, she said things, and when I denied it, I said, ‘It’s so crazy, it’s false,’ I get sued for defamation,” Trump said on Saturday before referring to New York’s Adult Survivors Act, which lifted the state’s statute of limitations for one year, allowing survivors of sexual assault to sue no matter how long ago the alleged abuse happened.
Relevant articles:
– Legal analyst: Trump may have jeopardized his bond with new attack on E. Jean Carroll
– Trump posts $91 million bond and files notice of appeal in E. Jean Carroll case, NBC News, Fri, 08 Mar 2024 16:16:00 GMT
– Trump may have defamed E. Jean Carroll again, one day after posting a $91.6 million bond for last case, CNBC, Sun, 10 Mar 2024 18:01:36 GMT
– Trump posts $91 million bond to appeal E. Jean Carroll defamation verdict, CBS News, Fri, 08 Mar 2024 21:10:53 GMT