Donald Trump found guilty of sexually abusing but not raping accusers | US News
Ex-President Donald Trump has been found guilty of sexually abusing, but not raping, his accuser in a department store dressing room.
A nine-member federal jury unanimously found Tuesday afternoon that Trump had defamed his accuser, columnist E Jean Carroll. Carroll claimed Trump raped her in a Bergdorf Goodman dressing room in the mid-1990s and that he knew his statements that her allegation was a hoax were false.
The jury of six men and three women awarded Carroll nearly $3 million in damages for proving her defamation suit. In addition, the jury said Trump should pay about $2 million in damages for Carroll’s civilian battery allegations, bringing the total to about $5 million.
The jury deliberated for more than two and a half hours in federal court in Manhattan on Tuesday.
Since the findings are civil rather than criminal, Trump faces no jail time.
Shortly after the verdict was announced, Trump lashed out on his Truth Social platform.
“I HAVE ABSOLUTELY NO IDEA WHO THIS WOMAN IS,” he wrote at 3:29 p.m. ‘THIS VERDICTATION IS A PITY – A SEQUEL TO THE BIGGEST WITCH HUNT EVER!’
More than a dozen women have accused Trump of sexual misconduct, but Carroll’s case is the first to win in court.
Carroll smiled as she was escorted to her car after the verdict.
A woman yelled at Carroll, “You are so brave and beautiful!”
“Thank you, thank you,” Carroll said.
She didn’t answer any questions.
Trump’s 2024 presidential campaign declared that “this case will be contested and ultimately we will win.”
“In jurisdictions completely controlled by the Democratic Party, our nation’s justice system is now compromised by extremist left-wing politics,” the Trump campaign declared.
“We have allowed false and utterly fabricated claims by troubled individuals to disrupt our elections and cause great harm.”
Carroll filed her lawsuit under the Adult Survivor’s Act, which was signed in New York last year. It gave abuse victims a unique opportunity to sue their alleged abusers.
Commenting on the ruling, New York Gov. Kathy Hochul said, “I was proud to sign the Adult Survivors Act so brave survivors like E. Jean Carroll could have their day in court.”
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