The U.S. Court of Appeals upheld the sentence given to Trump for sexual assault charges.

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Former President Donald Trump received bad news from the Second Circuit Court of Appeals in Manhattan. The Appeals Court upheld the $5 million damages award in favor of former magazine writer E. Jean Carroll, rejecting Trump's arguments that the trial was unfair.

$5 MILLION DAMAGES

The court found that the evidence presented, which included Trump describing how he groped women while speaking with the host of the television program "Access Hollywood" in 2005, was consistent with Carroll's claims. The court determined that Trump's actions exhibited a repeated and distinctive pattern of behavior.

The court's ruling stated, "Given the entirety of the records and the strength of Ms. Carroll's arguments, we are not convinced that there were any errors or mistakes in the district court's reasoned decision that violated Mr. Trump's rights."

In the appeal, Trump argued that it was unfair for the court to present testimonies from other women accusing him of sexual assault or to include the "Access Hollywood" video as trial material.

STATEMENT FROM TRUMP'S CAMP

Trump's spokesperson Steven Cheung stated in a related announcement, "Americans demand an immediate end to the political weaponization of our justice system and the swift rejection of all witch hunts, including the 'Carroll hoax' funded by Democrats." Cheung also announced that the appeal process would continue.

WHAT HAPPENED?

The district court's decision in May 2023 found Trump guilty based on an incident that occurred in the dressing room of the Bergdorf Goodman store in Manhattan in late 1995 or early 1996. Carroll, who previously wrote columns for the beauty and fashion magazine Elle, claimed that Trump raped her there. Carroll also stated that Trump defamed her by claiming her rape allegation was false in statements he made on social media in October 2022. The jury members of the Manhattan district court did not find that Trump committed rape but ruled that he must pay Carroll $2.02 million for sexual assault and $2.98 million for defamation. Trump claimed he did not know Carroll and said she was "not his type," asserting that she used the rape allegation to promote her memoir.