Donald Trump’s Loss to E. Jean Carroll Could Haunt Him: Retired Judge

Former President Donald Trump’s 2023 legal loss to writer and columnist E. Jean Carroll could come back to haunt him amid his July sentencing for the guilty verdict in his New York criminal trial.

“Everything is on the table when it comes to sentencing,” retired New York Judge Diane Kiesel said on MSNBC on Friday. “It is a look at Donald Trump’s entire life. It’s a look at any bad acts he’s ever committed. Even things that were not presented at trial,” Kiesel said. “E. Jean Carroll can come into the picture,” Kiesel said when asked if that could be a factor.

Trump faced trial in New York this month, accused of falsifying business records in an attempt to conceal hush money paid by his former lawyer Michael Cohen to adult film actress Stormy Daniels during the 2016 presidential campaign. Trump, the presumptive Republican nominee in the November presidential election, denies that he had sexual encounters with Daniels and pled not guilty to all 34 felony counts in the case brought by Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg. On Thursday afternoon, a jury of 12 found Trump guilty on all counts.

Previously, Trump was also handed legal losses in his case against Carroll in New York after being found liable for sexual abuse and defaming Carroll. Trump was ultimately ordered to pay Carroll over $80 million in damages. The former president has appealed the verdicts in Carroll’s cases.

After a verdict was reached in Trump’s criminal case on Thursday, Carroll took to X, formerly Twitter, and said, “Justice!!” while also posting a picture of Daniels.

Newsweek has reached out to Donald Trump’s campaign and E. Jean Carroll via email on Friday for additional comment.

Meanwhile, Kiesel continued her thoughts about Trump’s sentencing saying, “I think the way in which he has ripped apart the criminal justice system every single day he’s been on trial here, the judge can consider all of it.”

“In addition, I assume there will be a lot of letters sent to the court because that happens all the time…in which people will say he’s you know ‘he’s the savior of our country’ you know ‘he’s a wonderful man,’ other people will say he tried to tear apart democracy,” Kiesel said adding, “all of that comes into play” during sentencing.

Newsweek has also reached out to numerous legal analysts on Friday via email for their thoughts on Trump’s July sentencing.

Meanwhile, the former president held a news conference at Trump Tower in New York City on Friday morning to denounce the verdict. “It was a rigged trial,” Trump said. “We wanted a judge change,” Trump said also adding that he plans to “continue the fight.”