Trump tries again to delay $5m sexual abuse payout to E Jean Carroll | Donald Trump
US politics | The Guardian — 2026-07-04 16:41:00 — www.theguardian.com
Trump Seeks More Time to Pay E. Jean Carroll Judgment, Continues to Deny Allegations
Lawyers for Donald Trump have requested additional time to pay a nearly $5.8 million civil judgment to magazine columnist E. Jean Carroll, following the U.S. Supreme Court’s refusal to hear his appeal. Trump’s legal team argued that a change in counsel—prompted by his former lead attorney Justin Smith taking a federal judgeship, a position for which Trump nominated him—necessitated more time for the new lead counsel, Josh Halpern, to become familiar with the case.
Trump’s Denials and Delay Tactics
A jury previously found that Trump sexually abused Carroll in 1996 and later defamed her after she went public with her account in 2019. Trump has consistently denied Carroll’s claims, labeling them as politically and financially motivated. After the Supreme Court rejected his appeal, Trump vowed to continue fighting what he called a “Weaponization and Lawfare Case.”
Despite having deposited the judgment amount in an escrow fund, Trump is now seeking to delay the release of the funds, which have grown with interest. His attorneys requested the court extend their deadline to respond to Carroll’s request for payment until July 14, arguing that Carroll “faces no risk of material harm” because the judgment is secured by money held by the court, including enough accrued interest to cover any additional post-judgment interest.
Carroll’s Legal Team Responds
Carroll’s attorney, Roberta Kaplan, dismissed Trump’s request for more time as “little more than yet another play for time.” Kaplan noted that Trump had ample opportunity to secure new counsel, as Smith’s nomination to the court of appeals occurred more than five months ago. She argued that Trump should have been acting diligently since at least February.
Kaplan’s filing also suggested that Trump’s legal maneuvers are intended to delay payment further, possibly in connection with his forthcoming petition and motion for a rehearing. Carroll’s lawyers anticipate that Trump may attempt to combine appeals for both the $5 million and a separate $83 million defamation judgment, the latter of which involves statements he made about Carroll during his presidency and could raise questions of presidential immunity.
Conclusion
Trump’s ongoing efforts to delay payment to E. Jean Carroll, paired with his repeated denials and claims of political motivation, highlight his continued strategy of challenging court findings and postponing accountability. As legal battles over the judgments continue, the case underscores Trump’s pattern of using procedural tactics to resist compliance with court orders, even after multiple judicial rejections of his appeals.
Source: https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/jul/04/trump-delay-5m-payout-e-jean-carroll