A federal appeals court has dismissed former President Donald Trump’s bid to further delay the disbursement of $5.8 million to writer E. Jean Carroll, following her 2023 victory in a sexual abuse and defamation lawsuit against him. This decision comes in the wake of Trump’s appeal against a lower court’s directive, which ordered the release of the funds held in a court-managed account during the ongoing appeals process.

The $5.8 million sum includes the original $5 million judgment awarded to Carroll, as well as the interest accrued over time. The appeals court’s ruling is aligned with a recent decision by the US Supreme Court, which declined to review Trump’s case, thereby upholding the initial verdict.

Judge Lewis Kaplan, overseeing the proceedings, emphasized that the legal avenues have been fully explored and concluded, signifying that it is time for the judgment to be settled financially. Despite the court’s decisive rulings, Trump maintains his denial of the allegations and persists in contesting the legal interpretation of the financial agreement tied to the funds’ release.

This latest development marks another chapter in a prolonged legal battle between Carroll and Trump, stemming from Carroll’s allegations, which she detailed during the trial. The court’s decision reinforces the earlier judgment and moves to close a significant financial aspect of the case, despite Trump’s continued legal challenges.