A federal judge overseeing a New York defamation trial has refused to grant former President Donald Trump's request to delay an $83.3 million award to columnist E. Jean Carroll. Carroll accused Trump of raping her in the 1990s, leading to the defamation case.
Judge Lewis A. Kaplan stated that Trump's financial predicament was a result of his delayed response to the verdict. The defamation case stemmed from Trump's statements about Carroll in 2019, where he dismissed her rape allegations as false.
Despite Trump's lawyers challenging the judgment, including a $65 million punitive award, Judge Kaplan emphasized that Trump's own actions contributed to his current situation. The judgment is set to become final on Monday, with Trump's lawyers seeking to delay execution until after Kaplan rules on their request to suspend the award.
Trump's attorney did not provide immediate comment on the matter. In a separate case, a state court judge in New York has ordered Trump and his companies to pay $355 million in penalties for financial misconduct, bringing his total owed amount to nearly $454 million with interest.
