NEW YORK, NY.–President-elect Donald Trump,78, lost his appeal in New York’s Appeals Court over the May 9, 2023 verdict in Manhattan civil court finding Trump liable of sexual abuse. Trump claimed he didn’t know the woman which was entirely possible since, back in 1996, Trump was a New York real estate tycoon celebrity, interviewed by every major journalist in the business including Barbara Walters and Mike Wallace because of his undeniable success building skyscrapers on the New York skyline. Carroll told a largely partisan female jury that Trump forced himself on her in Bergdorf Goodman lingerie changing room, sometime in 1996, though Carroll could not recall any specific date. Yet after hearing testimony from other witnesses. Carroll claimed she told her closest friends about the incident.
Carroll was awarded $2.02 million for sexual assault and another $2.98 million for defamation, outrageous sums when you consider Carroll could not recall the date of the incident or had not written down when it occurred at the time. If any encounter happened at all with Carroll andTrump, it was most likely an consensual encounter not sexual abuse. Trump was a best-selling author Nov. 1, 1987 with the “Art of the Deal” with Tony Schwartz. At the time of Carroll’s suit it was at the height of the MeToo movement where women were empowered to report alleged sexual abuse episodes as more federal and state courts eliminated statutes of limitations. When you consider all the lawsuits filed against Trump by Democrats hell-bent on preventing him from running for president in 2024, Carroll’s case fits right in, with all the other criminal and civil cases.
How ironic that ABC News journalist George Stephanopoulos was forced to apologize with ABC News for Stephanopoulos stating publicly that Trump was convicted of rape in the E. Jean Carroll case. Stephanopoulos, a former Press Secretary of former President Bill Clinton, despises Trump, letting his personal animosity to get the better of him. ABC News’ parent company Disney decided to end Trump’s defamation suit and settle the case for $16 million. But Disney’s decision to settle the case and apologize to Trump speaks volumes about Stephanopoulos egregious slander of Trump on national TV. Stephanopouplos insisted Trump raped Carroll when in fact the May 9, 2023 jury found him liable of sexual abuse, a completely different statute in New York state law. Of all the cases against Trump, none was more incredulous that Carroll’s case.
To believe that Trump would risk his career in a public place like Berdorf Goodman is highly dubious, knowing that Trump had plenty of opportunities for sexual gratification. E. Jean Carroll presents like Kristine Blasey-Ford who accused Associate Justice Brett Kavanaugh of rape back when he attended some murky party back in high school. Blasey-Ford told her story to the Senate Judiciary Committee in Kavanaugh’s confirmation hearing. E. Jean Carroll’s charge against Trump was even more incredulous considering Trump wealth and celebrity status back in 1996. Stephanopoulos cost ABC News dearly, not with the $16 million defamation payout to Trump but the embarrassing apology for misstating Trump’s charges. Trump continues to deny Carroll’s claims, despite the fact that a jury found Trump liable of sexual abuse. Celebrities like Trump often have a target on their backs.
Because Trump denied the charges saying that “Carroll was not his type,” her attorney went back to court to get more punitive damages, awarded $83.3 million Jan. 28, 2024, for damaging Carroll’s reputation. Only Trump would receive such outrageous jury awards, attesting to the kind bias against him in New York civil and criminal courts. New York Atty. Gen. Letitia James already found Trump guilty Feb. 16, 2023 of misrepresenting his wealth for the purpose of Two months later, Manhattan DA Alvin Bragg found Trump guilty of 34 felonies in the Stormy Daniels hush money trial. So, Democrats in the civil and criminal justice system just kept pouring on Trump with the objective of stopping him from running for president in 2024. When E. Jean Carroll’s verdict is put in that context it shows how the criminal and civil legal system conspired against Trump.
Losing his appeal in New York today, Trump isn’t likely to get injunctive relief in the Supreme Court. Trump could still ask for a full court review from the three-judge panel, giving Trump more time. When you consider all the cases brought by New York, federal and other states courts against Trump it follows a clear pattern of judicial abuse, using the court to advance a Democrat political agenda, to stop him from running for president. Now that he’s won the Nov. 5 election, you’d think the courts would realize how they’ve abused Trump over the last two years all to stop him for running for president. Trump deserves the same due process and rule of law as any other American citizen, though Democrats disagree. Democrats say Trump is out to destroy democracy but Democrats have weaponized the civil and criminal justice system for political purposes.
About the Author
John M. Curtis writes politically neutral commentary analyzing spin in national and global news. He’s editor of OnlineColumnist.com and author of Dodging The Bullet and Operation Charisma.e
