Trump to attend oral arguments Friday in E. Jean Carroll judgment appeal: Sources

Former President Donald Trump is expected to be in court on Friday for oral arguments in his appeal of a 2023 judgment holding him liable for sexually abusing columnist E. Jean Carroll, according to sources familiar with his plans.

A jury found Trump liable for battery and defamation in the E. Jean Carroll case in May 2023.

Carroll, who brought the lawsuit in November 2022, alleged that Trump defamed her in a 2022 Truth Social post by calling her allegations "a Hoax and a lie" and saying, "This woman is not my type!" when he denied her claim that Trump raped her in a Bergdorf Goodman dressing room in the 1990s.

The former Elle magazine columnist added a charge of battery under a New York law that allowed adult survivors of sexual abuse to sue their alleged attacker regardless of the statute of limitations. Trump has denied all allegations that he raped Carroll or defamed her.

The jury awarded Carroll a total of $5 million in the lawsuit. Jury members found that Trump did not rape Carroll but sexually abused her, and awarded damages of $2 million in compensatory damages and $20,000 in punitive damages for battery.

The jury awarded $1 million in damages, $1.7 million for reputation repair, and $280,000 in punitive damages, for defamation.

Following the verdict, Trump called it "a disgrace," and a spokesperson for the former president said he would appeal.

"I HAVE ABSOLUTELY NO IDEA WHO THIS WOMAN IS," he posted to his Truth Social platform. "THIS VERDICT IS A DISGRACE - A CONTINUATION OF THE GREATEST WITCH HUNT OF ALL TIME!"

"Make no mistake, this entire bogus case is a political endeavor targeting President Trump because he is now an overwhelming front-runner to once again be elected President of the United States," a Trump spokesperson said in a statement following the verdict. "This case will be appealed, and we will ultimately win."