Trump lawyers to use 'conflict of interest' between judge, Carroll's attorney in appeal of $83.3M jury verdict: 'Insane' | 27 Jan 2024 | Donald Trump's lawyers will use an "insane" and previously unknown "conflict of interest" between E. Jean Carroll's lawyer and the judge presiding over her defamation case against the former president as the basis of their appeal seeking to toss the eye-popping $83.3 million jury verdict, The Post has learned. Trump lawyer Alina Habba said she was unaware Manhattan federal Judge Lewis Kaplan and Carroll's lawyer Roberta Kaplan worked together in the early 1990s at the same powerhouse white-shoe law firm until Saturday, when asked about it by Post columnist Charles Gasparino, who was told by a source that the judge was once Roberta Kaplan's "mentor." "It was never disclosed. It's insane..." Habba said, insisting neither the 79-year-old judge nor Roberta Kaplan, 57, who aren't related, disclosed the "conflict of interest" and a violation of judicial ethics rules.