A federal appeals court on Monday upheld a civil jury’s finding President Donald Trump must pay $83.3 million to feminist columnist E. Jean Carroll – a writer who accused him of sexually assaulting her in the early 1990s with no hard evidence to support her claims – for his social media commentary on the matter.

AP reports the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals rejected Trump’s appeal of the defamation award, finding the “jury’s damages awards are fair and reasonable.”

Trump had argued he should not have to pay the sum as a result of a Supreme Court decision expanding presidential immunity. His lawyers had asked for a new trial.

AP set out further background to the long-running legal matter stating:

A civil jury in Manhattan issued the $88.3 million award last year following a trial

See Full Page