A New York judge has rebuffed Donald Trump’s bid to temporarily halt the penalties in E. Jean Carroll’s defamation lawsuit. The judge gave the former president a three-day window to settle the $83.3 million judgment or post a bond.
Judge Lewis Kaplan indicated that he still weighs Trump’s plea for a reduced bond or a postponement until his post-trial motions are resolved.
Kaplan underscored Trump’s own procrastination in the matter, highlighting his delay in taking action despite having ample time since January 26 to prepare his finances in anticipation of bonding the judgment.
In his late Thursday order, Kaplan pointed out Trump’s failure to substantiate how the judgment poses an “irreparable injury” or to delineate the financial burdens he would incur by posting a bond in the case.
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“The cost of ongoing litigation in the absence of a stay does not qualify as ‘irreparable injury’ in the relevant sense of that term,” Kaplan wrote.
Reacting to the verdict, Trump campaign spokesperson Steven Cheung emphasized, “President Trump promptly filed a motion to stay the unjust judgment, and many courts, including the Second Circuit, acknowledge the importance of temporary administrative stays while such motions are under consideration. We eagerly anticipate further litigation of the case and complete vindication of the truth.”
Judge Kaplan’s ruling comes amid a flurry of legal maneuvers by the former president’s attorneys to forestall the half-billion dollars owed by Trump across various judgments.
In January, a jury granted Carroll $83.3 million in damages after finding Trump guilty of defaming her while refuting her allegation of sexual assault in a department store dressing room in the 1990s. Trump’s legal team contended that the verdict was erroneous and that meeting the $83.3 million obligation would inflict “irreparable injury” on the ex-president through significant costs.
Carroll’s lawyers countered the delay attempt, asserting Trump’s failure to furnish vital financial details to justify the postponement.
In a separate civil case, a New York judge last month ordered Trump to repay $454,156,783 in disgorgement plus pre-judgment interest for a decade of fraudulent business practices.
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Through his legal representatives, Trump similarly challenged the ruling, sought a delay, and proposed posting a $100 million bond. Trump’s attorneys cautioned that without a stay, he might have to divest some of his assets to raise sufficient funds to cover the bond.
However, New York Attorney General Letitia James resisted the plea, cautioning in a filing that Trump and his co-defendants could attempt to evade the financial penalty.
New York’s Appellate Division recently denied the request for a stay on the financial penalties. Still, it clarified that Trump’s ban on accessing New York-based financing does not extend to bond companies.
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“I did nothing wrong, except build a successful and very liquid company, owning some of the Greatest Properties in the World,” Trump asserted on social media following last week’s ruling.
The deadline to settle the $83.3 million defamation judgment is Monday, with Trump’s $454 million judgment in his civil fraud case due later this month.
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