Trump says E. Jean Carroll payment belongs back in court control
Trump says E. Jean Carroll moved his $5.6 million payout into a retirement investment account and wants the money returned to court control.
By Bianca Rossi · Entertainment Editor
3 min read
The Trump E. Jean Carroll payment fight has shifted from the verdict to the vault: Donald Trump says Carroll should not be holding his $5.6 million payout in a personal investment account while he keeps fighting in court.
According to court documents obtained by TMZ, Trump claims Carroll’s lawyer told the court the money would be placed in an interest-bearing account after it was released from judicial control. Trump’s filing says the money later ended up in what Carroll’s legal team described as a personal investment account connected to her retirement.
Trump’s attorneys are now asking an appeals court to order Carroll to move the full payout back into a court-controlled account. They argue the money should stay out of the market while Trump pursues his latest challenge at the Supreme Court.
Why does Trump want the E. Jean Carroll payment moved?
Trump’s team says an investment account exposes the money to market losses and gives Carroll too much control over funds he may try to recover if the judgment is overturned. A court-controlled account would keep the money under court supervision instead of leaving it in an account managed for Carroll’s benefit.
In the filing described by TMZ, Trump’s lawyers say Carroll’s side pointed to the S&P 500 in defending the account. Trump’s team argues that tying the funds to the stock market creates risk for millions of dollars that he says should be preserved while the legal fight continues.
Trump also claims Carroll could send the money to third parties, which he argues could make it harder to claw back the funds if he later wins. His request asks the appeals court to put the entire payout back under judicial control while the Supreme Court challenge plays out.
What does Carroll say about the money?
Carroll’s side says the payout remains intact, according to TMZ. Her legal team argues Trump’s rehearing petition is not enough reason to force her to give back a judgment she has already collected.
The money at issue stems from the 2023 civil verdict against Trump. As TMZ previously reported, Carroll received $5.62 million earlier this month after the Supreme Court declined to hear Trump’s appeal of that verdict.
A jury in 2023 found Trump liable for sexually abusing and defaming Carroll. Trump has continued to contest the judgment, and his lawyers say the case is not over despite Carroll having collected the money.
The new dispute does not relitigate the jury’s findings. It centers on where the payout should sit while Trump keeps pressing his remaining legal options.
This story draws on original reporting from TMZ.