A federal judge has authorized the release of nearly $5.8 million in damages to writer E. Jean Carroll, allowing her to collect a civil judgment stemming from a 2023 jury verdict that found President Donald Trump liable for sexually abusing and defaming her. The amount includes the original $5 million award plus accrued interest while the money remained in escrow during the appeals process. Trump's attorneys immediately appealed the latest order, arguing the funds should remain on hold while they pursue additional legal options.

The order came after the U.S. Supreme Court declined to hear Trump's appeal of the 2023 verdict, clearing the way for U.S. District Judge Lewis Kaplan to release the funds. Carroll accused Trump of sexually assaulting her in a Manhattan department store in the mid-1990s before he entered politics. A jury concluded that Trump was liable for sexual abuse and for defaming Carroll after he publicly denied her allegations in 2019. Trump has consistently denied the allegations and continues to challenge the verdict in court