Former President Donald Trump has taken a significant step in addressing the $83.3 million jury award granted to writer E. Jean Carroll in a defamation trial earlier this year.
Trump’s attorney, Alina Habba, announced on Friday that he had secured a bond of $91.6 million from the Federal Insurance Co. to support the award while an appeal is underway.
The filing of the bond comes after Judge Lewis A. Kaplan refused to extend the deadline for posting the bond, ensuring that Carroll could potentially collect the full amount if the verdict stands after appeals.
Trump faces financial pressure to cover both the judgment in the Carroll case and a larger one related to a lawsuit where he was found to have lied about his wealth.
A recent ruling in New York allowed the collection of a $454 million civil fraud penalty, with Trump having until March 25 to pay or secure a bond. Interest on this judgment continues to accrue daily, adding significant financial strain.
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Judge Kaplan emphasized that any financial difficulties faced by Trump are a result of his delayed response to the defamation verdict.
The case stems from Carroll’s claims of sexual abuse and defamation, with a jury previously awarding her $5 million for Trump’s defamatory statements made in 2019.
The recent trial focused solely on these statements, with the jury instructed to accept previous findings regarding the alleged sexual abuse.
Throughout the legal proceedings, Trump’s presence in the courtroom has been notable. While he did not attend the initial trial, he testified briefly during the proceedings and was present at the January trial.
However, his behavior, including disparaging comments directed towards Carroll’s lawyer, prompted the judge to threaten to remove him from the courtroom.
