(CMR) A Manhattan federal jury found that former President Donald Trump sexually abused writer E. Jean Carroll in a luxury department store dressing room in the spring of 1996 and awarded her $5 million for battery and defamation. The jury, however, did not think he was liable for rape.
Carroll had alleged that Trump raped her in the Bergdorf Goodman department store and then defamed her when he denied her claim, said she wasn't his type, and suggested she made up the story to boost sales of her book.
Trump, who has denied the allegations, did not put on a defense and chose not to testify. He was not required to appear in court for trial or any proceedings and has a right not to testify in his own defense.
Trump, a 2024 presidential candidate, has consistently denied Carroll’s claims. He blasted the verdict on his social media website shortly after the verdict was handed down.
“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 wrote on Truth Social.
A Trump campaign spokesman said in a statement, “Make no mistake, this entire bogus case is a political endeavor targeting President Trump because he is now an overwhelming front-runner to be once again elected President of the United States.”
“This case will be appealed, and we will ultimately win,” the statement said.
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