$91 Million Bond Posted By Trump
In a significant legal move, former President Donald Trump recently complied with the requirement to post a bond exceeding $91 million. This step is part of his ongoing appeal against the defamation judgment in favor of advice columnist E. Jean Carroll. The bond, precisely $91.63 million, represents 110 percent of the damages awarded, following the customary legal practice. This action came shortly after a judge dismissed Trump’s latest effort to postpone his bond posting deadline set for Monday.
Trump’s decision to post the bond underlines his intention to challenge the judgment’s enforcement while his appeal is underway—a process he initiated the same day. Trump’s legal team has expressed strong confidence in overturning the verdict at the appellate level, citing significant errors they believe occurred during the trial.
The backdrop of this legal battle includes a federal jury in New York directing Trump to compensate Carroll $83.3 million for defamation. This verdict was linked to Trump’s 2019 denial of Carroll’s allegations that he sexually assaulted her in the past. Additionally, Trump faced a separate jury’s decision last year, finding him responsible for sexually abusing Carroll, which resulted in a $5.5 million payment. Trump stands to recover this sum if his appeal succeeds.
Trump is concurrently navigating financial pressures from approximately half a billion dollars in new civil penalties, stemming not only from Carroll’s case but also from a subsequent fraud prosecution by the New York attorney general. Earlier attempts by Trump to defer payments in both instances were notably unsuccessful, highlighted by his plea to U.S. District Judge Lewis Kaplan to postpone the bond posting. Trump had argued that the full bond amount would cause him irreparable harm and believed he had a strong chance of reducing the sum through post-trial motions or on appeal.
Opposition from Carroll’s legal team was stark, dismissing Trump’s postponement requests as lacking credibility. Despite efforts to secure a delay, court filings revealed Trump secured his bond through Federal Insurance Company, demonstrating a rapid shift in his legal strategy within the week. This development underscores the complexity and intensity of the legal confrontations involving Trump, reflecting the high stakes and the former president’s vigorous defense against the allegations and judgments faced.
