NEW YORK – POLITICS – The path to the presidency by former President Donald J. Trump has hit another speed bump.
Former U.S. President Donald Trump has suffered a legal setback after a jury in Manhattan federal court found him liable for sexually assaulting magazine writer E. Jean Carroll in the 1990s and defaming her by calling her a liar. The nine-member jury awarded about $5 million in compensatory and punitive damages to Carroll on Tuesday.
The jury deliberated for just under three hours before reaching a unanimous verdict that rejected Trump’s denial of assaulting Carroll and ruled in her favor. The jury, composed of six men and three women, had to find Trump liable for the assault for him to be held accountable for defamation.
The ruling comes as Trump campaigns to retake the presidency in 2024, potentially affecting his chances in the upcoming election. The verdict marks a significant victory for Carroll and the #MeToo movement, which has brought increased attention to sexual assault and harassment cases in recent years.
Posting on Truth Social, responding to the decision of the court, the former President states, “I HAVE ABSOLUTELY NO IDEA WHO THIS WOMAN IS. THIS VERDICT IS A DISGRACE – A CONTINUATION OF THE GREATEST WITCH HUNT OF ALL TIME”
