Donald Trump in more troubled waters with E. Jean Carroll

Renowned columnist E. Jean Carroll has initiated a fresh legal action against former President Donald Trump, seeking an additional $10 million in damages. This comes just two weeks after a jury found Trump liable for sexual abuse and defamation, awarding Carroll $5 million in compensation.

The latest lawsuit amendment filed by Carroll’s legal team in a Manhattan federal court on Monday, May 23, specifically addresses remarks made by Donald Trump during a recent CNN town hall with Kaitlan Collins, as well as a post on his Truth Social platform referring to the New York verdict as a “disgrace.”

In the court documents, Carroll’s lawyers assert that Trump’s post-verdict statements reflect a deep-seated malice towards Carroll, exemplifying a level of defamatory conduct fueled by hatred, ill will, and spite. The lawyers argue that such conduct warrants a substantial punitive damages award.

Carroll has accused Trump of raping her in the dressing room of a Bergdorf Goodman store during the 1990s. Trump has consistently denied these allegations, branding them a “complete con job.”

Earlier this month, Carroll expressed her intention to file another defamation suit after Donald Trump dismissed her story as “fake” and “made up” during the CNN town hall with Kaitlan Collins.

Trump further belittled her claims by mocking her “hanky panky” allegations, labeling her a “whack job,” and asserting that the judge had barred his legal team from presenting evidence regarding Carroll’s derogatory comments about her husband and her cat named “Vagina.”

Carroll condemned Trump’s remarks, describing them as “stupid, disgusting, vile, foul, [and] wound[ing].” Following a two-week trial, the jury found Trump liable for abuse and defamation but not for rape, after deliberating for under three hours. On the same day the verdict was reached, Trump filed an appeal, while Carroll hinted at the possibility of pursuing further legal action.

Trump’s attorney, Joseph Tacopina, had previously stated his intention to appeal the verdict, citing concerns about a fair trial for the former president in New York. Trump’s notice of appeal to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit was submitted shortly after U.S. District Judge Lewis Kaplan issued a ruling granting Carroll the judgment and officially closing the case.

During the televised town hall, Trump made several disparaging comments about Carroll, which elicited applause and laughter from the audience composed of New Hampshire Republicans and independent voters participating in the state’s Republican primary.

Collins questioned Trump about the incident and its potential impact on his political future, to which Trump responded by claiming he did not know Carroll and proceeded to insult her repeatedly.

He accused Carroll of engaging in “hanky panky,” claimed she had a cat named “Vagina,” and alleged that she referred to her husband as an “ape.” Trump also criticized U.S. District Judge Lewis A. Kaplan, appointed by President Bill Clinton, for allegedly biased rulings in the case.

These latest developments further contribute to the ongoing legal saga between E. Jean Carroll and Donald Trump, underscoring the complex and contentious nature of the allegations made against the former president.

As the legal proceedings continue, the repercussions of this case extend beyond the courtroom, affecting public opinion and perceptions surrounding the credibility of the involved parties.