Former President Donald Trump was found liable for defaming and sexually abusing E. Jean Carroll on the afternoon of Tuesday, May 9th, by a jury in federal court in New York City. Carroll, who has written for magazines and television, accused Trump of raping her in the Bergdorf-Goodman luxury department store in Midtown Manhattan between late 1995 and early 1996. This is not a criminal case but a civil case brought by Carroll in September 2020. The jury reportedly found Trump liable not for rape but for “sexual abuse and defamation.” Dealine.com reports, “The jury awarded $2 million to Carroll for battery and $3 million for defamation.”
After the verdict, Trump took to his Truth Social account and posted:
I HAVE ABSOLUTELY NO IDEA WHO THIS WOMAN IS. THIS VERDICT IS A DISGRACE – A CONTINUATION OF THE GREATEST WITCH HUNT OF ALL TIME!
Jurors reportedly deliberated for fewer than three hours after being charged with the case, apparently less time than it took the judge to issue the jury instructions.