Awaiting his appeal in the defamation case filed by columnist E. Jean Carroll, Donald Trump has effectively posted a $91.6 million bond. Judge Lewis Kaplan approved the substantial bond in an order filed Tuesday afternoon.
The order stated, "Pending the final disposition of the appeal by the U.S Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit, enforcement of the judgment, to the extent that it grants damages, is stayed." Simply put, the ruling is put on hold while Trump's case is on appeal. The bond guarantees Carroll's rightful compensation if the appeal doesn't favor Trump.
The former president secured an appeals bond of the same amount through the Virginia-based Federal Insurance Company. This substantial sum covers not only the judgment in the case, which amounts to $83 million, but also the accruing interest. The assets Trump leveraged to secure the bond were unspecified in the bond's conditions.
Heading to the Second U.S. Court of Appeals
There's a new development in the proceedings. Trump filed a notice of appeal of the judgment to the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit on the previous Friday. For Trump's appeal to proceed, the judgment must be paid in full or a bond posted for the judgment's sum.
Reflecting on these new developments, Trump's lawyer, Alina Habba, voiced confidence in overturning the judgment. In her words, their appeal will likely bring successful outcomes for the former president.
Posting a bond has several implications, one of which, as former federal prosecutor Josh Naftalis points out, is Trump's guarantee that Carroll would receive her dues if his appeal process were exhausted.
Naftalis takes a long view of the situation, stating that the appeal process might extend well beyond a year. As we speak, Trump continues challenging the $5 million judgment made in Carroll's favor last May. This judgment was placed after she was decidedly found to be a victim of sexual abuse perpetrated by the former president.
Turning back the clock to January, Trump was sternly ordered to pay a lump sum of $83.3 million to Carroll in damages. Carroll, a respected professional and former columnist for 'Elle' magazine, was defamed by Trump in 2019. Trump denied allegations of sexually abusing Carroll in a dressing room of a Manhattan department store in the 1990s.
In his defense, Trump declared Carroll was "totally lying." He boldly stated that she was "not my type," denying all misconduct allegations.
Caught in a complex web of legal frameworks, the former president finds himself accountable by a substantial bond and a potentially lengthy appeal process. Trump confidently rejects the charges while Carroll awaits justice. With the balance resting on the appeal's verdict, as weeks turn into months, only time will reveal the outcome.
