President Trump slams E. Jean Carroll's opposition to bond delay request as 'contradictory'

CNN
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Former President Donald Trump said Saturday that he can't take sides in E. Jean Carroll's claims that he is wealthy enough for a jury to award him $83.3 million in damages in his defamation trial, but he can't take sides now. said it cannot afford to be delayed. He has not provided proof of his wealth and is therefore posting his bond.

Trump's lawyers argued that Carroll's opposition to postponing bail was “contradictory.” Carroll, a former magazine columnist, opposed the request Thursday, telling Judge Lewis Kaplan that Trump was “the most untrustworthy of the borrowers.” Her lawyers also argued that the former president had not provided information about the nature of her finances and assets.

In response to Carroll's objections, Trump's lawyers wrote to Kaplan on Saturday, saying, “The current position that President Trump's ability to satisfy the $83.3 million judgment is questionable is that President Trump's It is “clearly inconsistent'' with the position she took months ago.'' With $14 billion in assets, it can easily satisfy huge punitive damages. ”

Last month, President Trump gave Kaplan, who oversees the defamation case, 30 days to post bail or put up cash to cover the judgment after a motion contesting the damage award is decided. I asked. Trump's lawyers said a post-trial brief would be filed within five days.

Mr. Kaplan made the jury's verdict official on February 8 and granted Mr. Trump a 30-day appeal bond. If the judge denies Trump's request, the current schedule would require him to post bail within two weeks.

Mr. Trump's lawyers have asked that if Mr. Kaplan does not delay the publication of Mr. Trump's judgment, the ex-president be allowed to post a $24.4 million bond, saying they would “ensure minimal risk to the plaintiffs.” “That's more than enough money.”

Trump's lawyers said in a post-trial motion that they would argue that the punitive damages were “excessive” and should be reduced. The former president also disputes other damages awarded to Carroll.

Trump's financial situation has become more complicated since last month's decision in the defamation suit, which Carroll's lawyers noted in their opposition.

The judge overseeing the New York attorney general's civil fraud case last month awarded Trump $454 million, bringing the total amount owed by the former president to more than $500 million. President Trump proposed posting bail at $100 million and asked an appeals court judge to delay the release of bail. An appellate judge on Wednesday denied his motion for a stay.