Trump delays $5m sexual abuse payout to Jean Carroll; latter senses conspiracy

US President Donald Trump has sought more time to pay the $5 million civil judgment awarded to writer E Jean Carroll for sexual abuse and defamation, a move Carroll’s legal team has described as a move which “appears to be little more than yet another play for time”.Trump’s lawyers asked a federal court to extend the deadline until July 14, saying his new lead counsel, Josh Halpern, needs more time to become familiar with the case after former attorney Justin Smith left to serve as a federal judge, the Guardian reported.A jury in 2023 found Trump liable for sexually abusing Carroll in 1996 and later defaming her after she publicly accused him in 2019, awarding her $5 million in damages. Trump deposited the money in an escrow account, but is seeking to delay the release of the amount, which has now grown to nearly $5.8 million with interest.Carroll’s attorney, Roberta Kaplan, argued Trump had ample time to hire new counsel and suggested the extension request was intended to buy time before pursuing fresh legal challenges, including asking the Supreme Court of the United States to reconsider the judgment and hear an appeal in a separate $83 million defamation case.“We can only assume that Defendant is seeking … to buy time so he can try to concoct some new basis to put off paying Plaintiff presumably in connection with his forthcoming petition and motion for a rehearing,” the Guardian quoted Kaplan as saying.Trump has consistently denied Carroll’s allegations, calling the civil judgments politically motivated, and has vowed to continue fighting the case after the Supreme Court declined to hear his appeal.