Trump asks Supreme Court to block €71 million defamation payout
The US president is seeking to overturn a €71 million defamation judgment, raising unprecedented legal questions about executive immunity and personal liability that could redefine the financial risks of the American presidency.
Donald Trump and the Justice Department have formally petitioned the Supreme Court to overturn an €71 million defamation verdict awarded to writer E. Jean Carroll. The electronic appeal, expected to be docketed on Wednesday, challenges a January 2024 Manhattan jury decision that held the president liable for statements he made about the author.
The legal team argues that presidential immunity and the Westfall Act protect government employees from lawsuits regarding official duties. Federal attorneys contend that Trump made the disputed comments in 2019 while serving in office, placing the conduct within his federal scope. “Absent this Court’s intervention, the sitting President is facing nearly a hundred million dollars of personal liability for conduct that was well within the scope of his federal office,” the attorneys wrote.
This case tests the absolute boundaries of executive power and financial accountability in the United States. For international investors and European policymakers monitoring US governance, the outcome will clarify whether a sitting president can face massive personal financial ruin for official conduct, a factor that influences the broader predictability of the American regulatory environment. The lawyers emphasized the historic nature of the dispute, noting, “This is the first case in our nation's history in which a court has imposed damages liability on a president for his conduct in office.”
The underlying dispute stems from Carroll’s allegations that Trump sexually assaulted her in a Bergdorf Goodman dressing room in the spring of 1996. She publicized the claims in a 2019 memoir, prompting Trump to deny the encounter and suggest she fabricated the story to boost book sales, adding that “she’s not my type.” Trump has consistently denied any wrongdoing.
A New York-based appeals court previously rejected Trump’s attempts to overturn the €71 million award. However, the court was split on the decision and agreed to delay the payout until the Supreme Court decides whether to hear the case. Carroll’s legal team has declined to comment on the latest filing.
This marks the second time the president has asked the nation's highest court to intervene in Carroll's litigation. In June, the justices refused to hear an appeal regarding a separate €4.3 million verdict for sexual abuse and defamation related to remarks made after his first term. That earlier judgment has already been paid.
