Ordered To Pay His Rape Accuser $83.3M, Trump Is Now Interviewing New Lawyers For The Appeal: 'I Will Make My Decision Soon'

Donald Trump is reportedly in the process of interviewing new lawyers for his appeal in the defamation case filed against him by writer E. Jean Carroll.

What Happened: Trump announced late Tuesday that he is considering new legal representation for his upcoming appeal. This comes after a verdict last week by a New York City jury ordering Trump to pay Carroll $83.3 million for defaming her in 2019, reported The Hill.

The former president was represented in the initial trial by attorney Alina Habba. It’s not uncommon for different representation to be sought for an appeal. It remains unclear whether Habba was removed from the case or Trump’s broader legal team.

Trump reportedly criticized U.S. District Judge Lewis Kaplan, who presided over the case, referring to him as a “Clinton appointed, highly partisan, Trump Hating Judge” and “one of the most partisan and out of control activists that I have ever appeared before.”

"Any lawyer who takes a TRUMP CASE is either ‘CRAZY,' or a TRUE AMERICAN PATRIOT," Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform. "I will make my decision soon!"

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Why It Matters: This development follows a series of events that began with a federal jury in Manhattan ordering Trump to pay Carroll $83.3 million in a defamation lawsuit, as reported by Benzinga. Carroll, a former journalist and advice columnist for Elle, had earlier triumphed in a civil trial in the same courtroom, where the jury concluded that Trump had sexually assaulted her in the mid-1990s.

Following the verdict, Carroll announced her plans to donate the award money to causes that Trump "despises", as per Benzinga. She also hinted at the potential establishment of a fund for women who have been sexually assaulted by Trump.

In a recent interview with MSNBC's Rachel Maddow, Carroll expressed her readiness to take further legal action against Trump if necessary, as reported by Benzinga. This comes after Trump shared multiple articles about Carroll's allegations on Truth Social.

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