The plan was to get a second look at the case. That was the plan. The Supreme Court denied the request on Monday.
President Donald Trump lost his long-shot effort to review a $5 million civil judgment. The high court refused to elaborate on the decision. This marks the second time the justices declined to get involved in the dispute, per the Washington Examiner.
The jury found Trump liable for sexually abusing writer E. Jean Carroll. They also ruled he defamed her in 2022. In the mid-1990s, a Bergdorf Goodman dressing room is where the incident allegedly occurred. The jury did not find him liable for rape.
Trump has denied the accusations. He maintains the encounter never happened. Carroll could not remember the exact year of the alleged assault. She did not produce physical evidence either.
Despite the legal battle, the money has already changed hands. Trump paid out the $5 million judgment last month. He tried to delay the payment until the Supreme Court considered his rehearing bid. The court rejected that appeal in June, and now again.
Carroll collected nearly $5.63 million from Trump. The total includes the original verdict plus interest. The court's decision leaves this judgment firmly in place.
Trump's lawyers argued that presidential immunity should shield him. They claimed the lower court relied too much on statements from 2019. Using all my power and strength, Trump announced he would persist in battling the weaponization and lawfare case filed against him, specifically rejecting the absurd defamation allegation.
That statement came after the first rejection in June. The president noted he faces two separate defamation judgments from Carroll. The second case involves an $83 million award. That appeal is not expected to receive a ruling from the high court until October.
Trump has denied any wrongdoing in both cases. He calls the suits politically motivated. The justices need four votes to grant oral arguments. They did not reach that threshold this time.
This ruling adds to a string of losses for the president at the court. He has faced setbacks on tariffs and birthright citizenship. But he has also won big on firing power and protected status.
Two emergency petitions remain pending before the justices. One concerns his mail ballot executive order. The other involves a bid to build a ballroom at the White House. The court could rule on those as soon as this week.
The $5 million verdict stands as a final cost for the former president. The legal fight over the larger $83 million judgment continues.