Trump Legal Team Seeks to Halt Carroll Award Distribution Pending Supreme Court Review
Attorneys Argue Collection Should Wait While Rehearing Petition Remains Active
Trump files last minute bid to prevent – Legal representatives for President Donald Trump have submitted an urgent request to temporarily suspend the disbursement of a substantial monetary judgment awarded to journalist E. Jean Carroll. This development comes more than two years following a jury’s determination that the former president was responsible for both sexual abuse and defamation against the advice columnist.
The legal maneuver aims to prevent Carroll from accessing approximately $5.8 million held in escrow while Trump’s petition for rehearing awaits consideration by the nation’s highest court. According to court documents filed in Manhattan, attorneys Josh Halpern and Michael Madaio emphasized that the collection process should not commence until all proceedings before the Supreme Court have concluded.
“Collection cannot begin while proceedings remain pending before the Supreme Court, which is currently the case,” the lawyers stated in their filing to the Manhattan court.
Supreme Court Decision Leaves Original Verdict Intact
The Supreme Court made its decision on June 29, declining to take up Trump’s appeal. This ruling effectively preserved the 2023 jury verdict that originated from Carroll’s initial successful legal action against Trump. That earlier lawsuit centered on allegations that Trump had assaulted her within a high-end department store dressing room during the mid-1990s.
Additionally, the jury determined that Trump had defamed Carroll when she first publicly disclosed her accusations during his first presidential term. Throughout this entire legal process, Trump has consistently maintained that Carroll invented her account and that the two individuals have never encountered one another in person.
“Surprisingly, the Supreme Court declined to ‘review’ a Fake Case brought against me by a woman I never met (Decades old celebrity photo line, standing with her husband, does not count!),
Trump expressed his reaction to the Supreme Court’s decision on Truth Social in late June. He continued by noting his commitment to challenging what he characterized as a weaponized legal campaign against him.
“I will continue the fight against this Weaponization and Lawfare Case against me, including the ridiculous claim of Defamation, with all of my power and strength.”
Dispute Over Rehearing Petition Status
While Trump’s legal team now asserts that a petition for rehearing remains pending before the Supreme Court justices, official court records indicate that the document was not formally accepted for filing during the current week. This discrepancy has become a point of contention in the ongoing legal battle.
The attorneys representing Trump have further argued that releasing the funds prematurely could result in irreparable harm if the judgment is subsequently overturned on appeal. They specifically highlighted Carroll’s publicly stated intention to donate portions of the money she receives from her civil defamation lawsuits to charitable causes.
“Plaintiff has repeatedly stated that she intends to give away all funds that she collects from him, and once those funds are distributed to third parties, they likely cannot be recovered,” Halpern and Madaio wrote in their court submission.
Carroll’s Legal Team Pushes for Expedited Payment
On the opposing side, Carroll’s attorneys have been actively working to accelerate the release schedule for the awarded funds. They contend that the president is attempting to create an unjustified delay in payment despite the Supreme Court’s prior rejection of his appeal.
“This is the end of the line,” they declared in a filing submitted on June 30. “After four years of litigation across every level of the federal court system, it is time for this case to end.”
The dispute highlights the complex intersection of appellate procedure and judgment enforcement. As both sides prepare for potential further developments, the outcome of this latest legal maneuver will determine whether Carroll can access her awarded compensation or must continue waiting for final resolution of all pending matters.
