Supreme Court again rejects Trump's bid to overturn E Jean Carroll sex abuse case

The United States Supreme Court has once more rejected former President Donald Trump's endeavor to overturn a federal civil jury ruling that held him accountable for sexually abusing and defaming writer E Jean Carroll. This denial follows a previous refusal by the highest court in June to review the civil case. Throughout his presidency, Trump has consistently denied any wrongdoing and claimed that the judge presiding over the civil trial improperly permitted evidence that influenced the jury's opinions about him.

In July, he settled Carroll's civil claim for over $5 million (£3.6 million) after admitting to sexually assaulting her in the 1990s, but he labeled the event a hoax on social media.

In response to the latest decision, Carroll expressed gratitude to her legal team and supporters, stating that one person cannot make a difference alone, but with the right team and worldwide support, extraordinary achievements are possible. Her attorney, Roberta Kaplan, confirmed that the jury's verdict finding Trump guilty of sexual assault and defamation against E. Jean Carroll is now irrevocable and cannot be contested in any court.

The court's decision was included in an order list on Monday, without providing any justification for the justices' refusal to rehear the case. Legal professionals noted that Trump's appeal to reconsider the court's earlier rejection of his request was an uncommon, high-risk legal strategy, as the court seldom grants similar requests.

E Jean Carroll, a former magazine columnist currently 82 years old, filed a lawsuit against Trump for the alleged assault in a Manhattan department store dressing room during the mid-1990s. The defamation arose from a 2022 post on Truth Social in which Trump denied the allegations and claimed Carroll was "not my type." Trump has yet to address the court's decision not to rehear the case.

In a lengthy post on Truth Social following the June decision, Trump vowed to persist in challenging what he called the "weaponization and lawfare case" and the "ridiculous" defamation claim. He asserted that the case is not only against him but also against the United States of America and its values, and should never be allowed to happen to another president or candidate.

Trump's lawyers argued in the initial Supreme Court petition that Carroll's lawyers should not have allowed jurors to view the infamous Access Hollywood footage from 2005, in which he made crude statements about groping and kissing women. Additionally, Trump requested the Supreme Court to overturn a separate federal civil defamation verdict awarding Carroll $83.3 million, arguing that he cannot be sued for comments made while he was president. The Supreme Court has not yet ruled on that matter.