“The biggest witch hunt”: Donald Trump found guilty of attempted rape of writer May 10, 2023, 08:35

A Manhattan jury has sided with author Jean Carroll and ordered Donald Trump to pay her $5 million. The former US president was found responsible for sexual assault and defamation of her, while rape charges were dropped. The nine-member jury, three women and six men, gave its opinion on the case after three hours of deliberation.

Carroll, 79, hung her head as the verdict was read. She nodded when she heard a jury had ruled in favor of her defamation suit against the 76-year-old Trump. This verdict could hamper the politician in his presidential campaign in 2024. However, this is only one of the few legal problems he has faced.

“I completely understand who this woman is. This verdict is a disgrace – the continuation of the greatest witch hunt of all time!” Trump said on social media after the trial.

His attorney, Joe Tacopina, vowed outside court to appeal the verdict. According to the lawyer, Donald is convinced that he cannot get a fair trial in New York based on the composition of the jury. “I think you can argue that it’s an accurate estimate based on what happened today,” Takopina said.

When asked by a reporter if this would prevent Trump from running as the Republican nominee in the 2024 presidential election, Takopina quickly replied, “No.” In a statement through her lawyer, Carroll said she was suing Trump “to clear her name and get her life back.”

“Today the world finally knows the truth. This victory is not only for me, but for every woman who suffered because she was not believed, “said the journalist.

Carroll accused Trump of assaulting her in a dressing room at a Fifth Avenue department store in 1996. He denied her accusations. A jury found him guilty of molestation, but the rape charge was dismissed. They also ruled in Carroll’s favor because of her claim that the former president defamed her in a lengthy Truth Social post dated October 12, 2022. The text claimed her allegations were a hoax.

The trial lasted eight days. Testimony came from 11 witnesses, including Carroll, two other Trump accusers and two of Carroll’s friends who told of the alleged assault. Trump did not attend the trial, but the jury saw clips of his video testimony. He also did not call any witnesses or present any evidence.

Carroll, who had an Elle column at the time, clarified that she had agreed to help Trump find a gift for the woman. They walked around the store, flirting and exchanging jokes. Donald led her to the empty underwear section on the sixth floor.

According to Jean, the tycoon threw her a see-through peignoir and asked her to try it on. However, Carroll jokingly threw the matter at Trump and asked for the same. The politician then took her to an open assembly room, where he pinned her to a wall and hit her twice on the head, Jean assured. She claimed that the businessman then raped her, according to the New York Post.