Donald Trump has asked the US Supreme Court to review a civil verdict finding him liable for sexually abusing and defaming writer E. Jean Carroll, in a final attempt to overturn or reduce the award against him. The case matters because it concerns a high-profile legal finding against a sitting or former US president and tests the limits of appellate review after lower courts upheld the jury’s decision.

A federal jury awarded Carroll $5 million in 2023, with the total reportedly now standing at about $5.6 million after interest. Trump has consistently denied Carroll’s allegation and argued that the trial was unfair, while courts have rejected his challenges so far. The Supreme Court is not required to take the case, and it accepts only a small proportion of appeals.