Disgraced Donald Trump has angrily reacted to a jury's sexual assault ruling labelling it a "witch hunt."
Jurors found the ex-President of the United States did not rape former Elle columnist E. Jean Carroll but did sexually abuse her - and he will now have to pay her $5million in damages.
Mr Trump took to his Truth social media platform shortly after the verdict was announced on Tuesday, May 9.
He said: "I HAVE ABSOLUTELY NO IDEA WHO THIS WOMAN IS. THIS VERDICT IS A DISGRACE - A CONTINUATION OF THE GREATEST WITCH HUNT OF ALL TIME!"
Nine jurors found that Mr Trump did sexually abuse Ms Carroll but did not rape her following the seven-day civil trial.
After the ruling Ms Carroll said in a statement: "I filed this lawsuit against Donald Trump to clear my name and to get my life back. Today, the world finally knows the truth. This victory is not just for me but for every woman who has suffered because she was not believed.
"I would like to express my deep and lasting gratitude to all those who have stood by me from the start, especially my incredible and fearless legal team, led by Robbie Kaplan, who never, ever backed down in pursuit of truth and justice."
Donald Trump's niece, Mary L Trump has given her reaction on Twitter to the jury's decision.
Her tweet simply read: "E. Jean Carroll."
Mary, who often criticises her uncle, tweeted the post following the verdict today. In 2020, Mary heavily criticised the former President in the family memoir, Too Much and Never Enough.
Trump will now have to pay E Jean Carroll around $5million in damages.
The damages breaks down as $2.7million (£2.4million in compensation, and $280,000 (£250,000) in punitive costs.
Ms Carroll, 79, will also be awarded another $20,000 (£14,000) in damages relating to a claim of battery.
The verdict could have enormous ramifications for the former president who has already launched his bid for re-election to the White House for 2024.
The verdict was announced in a federal courtroom in New York City after just three hours of deliberations.
The panel - of six men and three women - rejected Carroll’s claims she was raped, but found Trump liable for sexually abusing her.
Just an hour after the verdict, Trump posted another comment on his Truth social media platform, and said: "Very unfair trial."
Ms Carroll said she had a chance encounter with Donald Trump at the Bergdorf Goodman store across the street from Trump Tower in 1996.
Jurors found that Ms Carroll proved her 2019 lawsuit claiming that the 45th president abused her in a Bergdorf Goodman fitting room - most likely in 1996.
Neither the writer nor her attorney, Roberta Kaplan, spoke outside the lower Manhattan courthouse as they left hand in hand.
People in the court gallery cried tears of joy when the verdict finding Trump liable for sexual abuse was read.
Jurors also found in favour of Carroll on her claim that the ex-president defamed her in a lengthy October 12, 2022, Truth Social post claiming her accusations were a “hoax.”
The decision comes after eight days of trial spread over three weeks, where the jury heard from 11 witnesses including Carroll, two other Trump accusers and two pals who Carroll confided in about the alleged attack.
Trump, who did not attend the trial, has insisted he never sexually assaulted Carroll or even knew her.
Judge Jewis Kaplan told jurors that the first question on the verdict form was to decide whether they think there is more than a 50% chance that Trump raped Carroll inside a store dressing room.
If they answered yes, they would then decide whether compensatory and punitive damages should be awarded.
If they answered no on the rape question, they could then decide if Trump subjected her to lesser forms of assault involving sexual contact without her consent or forcible touching to degrade her or gratify his sexual desire.
If they answered yes on either of those questions, they will decide if damages are appropriate.
Carroll's attorney, Roberta Kaplan, cited excerpts from Trump's October deposition and his notorious comments on a 2005 "Access Hollywood" video in which he said celebrities can grab women between the legs without asking.
She urged jurors to believe her client.
"He didn't even bother to show up here in person," Kaplan said. She said much of what he said in his deposition and in public statements "actually supports our side of the case."
"In a very real sense, Donald Trump is a witness against himself," she said. "He knows what he did. He knows that he sexually assaulted E. Jean Carroll."
