- A Manhattan jury awarded E. Jean Carroll US$83 million in damages in January 2024.
- Trump's lawyers argued for presidential immunity regarding the US$83 million award, claiming he cannot be sued for comments made while in office.
- Trump urges the Supreme Court to overturn the defamation verdict, stating he is immune from litigation as president.
- The Justice Department is involved, seeking to invoke the Westfall Act, which shields government employees from lawsuits for actions taken while performing their duties.
- This case marks the first instance in U.S. history where a court has imposed damages liability on a president for conduct during their time in office.
- In a previous ruling in 2023, another jury awarded Carroll US$5 million after finding Trump liable for sexual abuse and defamation.
Donald Trump is appealing an US$83 million defamation verdict awarded to E. Jean Carroll, claiming he is protected by presidential immunity.12
"Absent this Court’s intervention, the sitting President is facing nearly a hundred million dollars of personal liability for conduct that was well within the scope of his federal office," federal attorneys stated.
The appeal follows a previous ruling where a jury found Trump liable for sexual abuse and defamation, awarding Carroll US$5 million.6
Carroll testified that Trump sexually assaulted her in 1996, leading to the January 2024 verdict.
Trump's legal team contends that the appeals court avoided addressing his claims of immunity, arguing that this case marks the first time a president has been held liable for actions taken while in office.
The Justice Department is invoking the Westfall Act, which protects government employees from lawsuits for actions taken in their official capacity.4
"This is the first case in our nation’s history in which a court has imposed damages liability on a president for his conduct in office," Trump's lawyers noted.
The Supreme Court previously declined to hear Trump's appeal regarding the earlier US$5 million verdict, complicating his legal battles further.
“Trump's legal team argues that the US$83 million verdict imposes unprecedented liability on a sitting president for actions taken while in office. The Justice Department is also involved, seeking to invoke the Westfall Act to protect Trump from personal liability related to his presidential conduct.”
The Globe and Mail
