(ConservativeSense.com) – Former President Donald Trump was found liable in a civil case alleging he assaulted a writer in a restroom in New York in the 1990s. E. Jean Carroll claims Mr. Trump assaulted her and later defamed her by denying he knew who she was. The jury in the civil trial found in Caroll’s favor and awarded her $5 million.
The jury came to its decision after deliberating for three hours in a trial that allowed character evidence and previous comments made by Trump to be heard by the jury, something that is rare and often deemed prejudicial. Judge Lewis Kaplan was appointed to the bench by Democratic President Bill Clinton.
After the verdict, Trump took to his Truth Social account and said, “The whole thing is a scam.” He continues to deny knowing Ms. Carroll. In capital letters, Trump wrote, “I HAVE ABSOLUTELY NO IDEA WHO THIS WOMAN IS. THIS VERDICT IS A DISGRACE—A CONTINUATION OF THE GREATEST WITCH HUNT OF ALL TIME!”
The compensation of $5 million includes almost $3 million for defamation. Trump insisted he did not know Ms. Carroll in a message on Truth Social in October 2022. He said she was not his “type” and had invented the story.
Asa Hutchinson, a competitor for the Republican presidential nomination, issued a statement immediately after the verdict was published, saying Republicans must treat Trump’s behavior seriously. He said the court’s findings demonstrate the former president’s “cavalier and arrogant” disregard for the law.
The civil trial does not affect Mr. Trump’s ability to run for president. Some commentators believe it will not impact his level of support because many of the backers will believe that the trial was politically motivated.
Trump faces criminal charges in New York and is under investigation over the discovery of classified documents at his Florida mansion last August. However, the former president continues to top the polls with a convincing lead in the Republican primaries.
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