E. Jean Carroll opposed former President Donald Trump’s request for more time to post an $83.3 million bond while appealing the defamation verdict against him.
Carroll’s lawyers argued Trump is not trustworthy and his financial situation is opaque and unstable given legal issues including a $454 million judgment and pending criminal charges.
They noted Trump has a history of not paying debts and questioned whether he could satisfy the judgment down the road if his legal problems worsen his finances or brand.
Carroll’s attorneys said collecting would be complicated if Trump becomes president again, is convicted or in prison, or dies during the appeals process.
Carroll’s lawyers said, “He doesn’t offer any information about his finances or the nature and location of his assets. He doesn’t specify what percentage of his assets are liquid or explain how Carroll might go about collecting. He doesn’t even acknowledge the risks that now accompany his financial situation, from a half billion-dollar judgment obtained by the New York Attorney General to the 91 felony charges that might end his career as a businessman permanently.”
They said, “He simply asks the Court to ‘trust me’ and offers, in a case with an $83.3 million judgment against him, the court filing equivalent of a paper napkin; signed by the least trustworthy of borrowers.”
Carroll’s lawyers continued, “If Trump is convicted of even a subset of the 91 felony charges lodged against him, the implications for his ability to satisfy the judgment here could be significant. And even prior to a conviction, Trump’s ‘brand’ – purportedly his most valuable asset, though not one that can easily be utilized to satisfy a civil judgment – may suffer as a result of the various legal proceedings in which he is enmeshed.”
The lawyers said, “Moreover, by the time the post-trial motions (or the appeal) are fully resolved, Trump may be in a very different position. He could then be President of the United States; he could then be a convicted criminal serving time behind bars; or, given his advanced age, Carroll may be forced to reckon with his estate. Any of these developments could substantially complicate collection efforts here.”
It was the second multi-million dollar verdict against Trump for defaming Carroll by denying her rape allegation.
