Supreme Court rejects Trump effort to overturn E. Jean Carroll sexual abuse and defamation verdict

The court left in place the jury’s finding that Trump sexually abused Carroll in the 1990s and later defamed her after she went public with her claims.

WASHINGTON — The Supreme Court handed a loss to President Donald Trump on Monday by refusing to hear his attempt to overturn a jury's finding that he sexually abused and later defamed writer E. Jean Carroll.

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The justices turned away Trump's appeal, meaning the 2023 jury verdict and a $5 million civil judgment remain in place.

The case arose from a federal lawsuit Carroll filed in New York City alleging that Trump assaulted her in the dressing room of a department store in 1996. The defamation claims relate to statements he made about her after his first term in office, in which he described her claims as a "con job" and "hoax."