Supreme Court shuts down Trump's sexual abuse appeal

The Supreme Court on Monday refused to hear President Donald Trump's appeal of the E. Jean Carroll sexual abuse verdict, leaving a $5 million judgment against him intact.

A jury found Trump liable in 2023 for sexually abusing writer E. Jean Carroll in a New York department store dressing room in the mid-1990s.

They also found he defamed her when he denied it. The verdict carried $5 million in damages.

Trump's lawyers argued the trial was unfair because of evidence that never should have reached the jury. His team called Carroll's claims "false" and "Liberal Lawfare."

The evidence Trump wanted thrown out included the Access Hollywood tape, a 2005 recording in which he described groping women without their consent.

"You know I'm automatically attracted to beautiful — I just start kissing them," Trump said on the tape. "When you're a star, they let you do it. You can do anything … Grab them by the p---y. You can do anything."

The jury heard that tape. They also heard from two other women who said Trump had sexually assaulted them. Trump said both were lying.

The Supreme Court rescheduled the case from one private conference to the next 15 times since February before Monday's denial. CNN reported that only one other case had been rescheduled as often this term.

Georgetown Law professor Steve Vladeck drew a key distinction: the court kept "rescheduling" the petition, not "relisting" it. Relisting means the justices are actually discussing the case. Rescheduling means they are not.

"It is really difficult to believe that the Court would show anywhere near the same kind of procedural deference to any litigant other than Trump," Vladeck wrote.

Carroll can now move to collect the $5 million.

Trump has not yet filed his appeal of the $83.3 million judgment, a second case that raises presidential immunity and is expected to reach the Supreme Court next.