Donald J. Trump would possibly at some point need to pay E. Jean Carroll the $83.3 million she was awarded, however that day is just not right now.
Mr. Trump referred to as the jury’s choice “Completely ridiculous!” and vowed to attraction the decision, a course of that might take months or extra.
And whereas he’s ready for an appellate courtroom to rule, Mr. Trump needn’t reduce Ms. Carroll a test.
But the previous president remains to be on the hook to pay one thing — presumably a large sum — whereas he waits.
Mr. Trump will pay the $83.3 million to the courtroom, which is able to maintain the cash whereas the attraction is pending. That is what he did final yr when a jury ordered him to pay Ms. Carroll $5.5 million in a associated case.
Or, Mr. Trump can attempt to safe a bond, which is able to save him from having to pay the complete quantity up entrance.
A bond would possibly require him to pay a deposit and supply collateral, and would include curiosity and charges. It will additionally require Mr. Trump to discover a monetary establishment prepared to lend him a big sum of cash at a time when he’s in vital authorized jeopardy.
Though Mr. Trump likes to boast of his billions, a lot of his wealth is linked to the worth of his properties, and he’s loath to half with huge sums of money directly.
And in relation to his different authorized bills — of which there are various — he tries to keep away from spending his personal cash in any respect. Mr. Trump has tapped his political motion committee’s coffers to pay for his personal authorized charges and different bills stemming from his prison indictments and civil trials.
But $83.3 million eclipses the quantity in his political accounts. The decision on Friday would require Mr. Trump to achieve into his personal pocket.
Nonetheless, if the decision survives Mr. Trump’s appeals, Ms. Carroll ought to finally be paid, in keeping with Bruce Inexperienced, director of the Louis Stein Heart for Legislation and Ethics at Fordham College.
“He’s the uncommon defendant with an $83 million verdict towards him who truly has the cash,” Mr. Inexperienced stated. “Wherever this lands, she ought to be capable of acquire.”
He has sufficient money to cowl the decision in varied accounts, an individual near him stated. In recent times, Mr. Trump has unloaded a number of property, together with his Washington lodge, which offered for $375 million.
But the decision on Friday is just not the one payout upcoming for Mr. Trump. The New York legal professional normal is in search of a $370 million penalty from the previous president and his household enterprise as a part of a civil fraud trial that wrapped up this month.
The choose in that case is predicted to situation a call within the coming weeks. If Mr. Trump is ordered to pay a whole bunch of tens of millions of {dollars}, it’s unclear whether or not he must promote one other asset to make a cost like that.
Claire Fahy contributed reporting.
