Trump's Stalling Tactics Crumble as Courts Push toward $5.8 Million Payment

The Supreme Court's June 29 refusal to hear Trump's appeal against E. Jean Carroll's $5.8 million judgment opened the escrow valve. Carroll's team immediately moved to release the court-held funds, citing a 2023 agreement that triggered payment upon Supreme Court denial. Trump filed a rare rehearing petition July 6 and asked Judge Lewis Kaplan to pause disbursement, claiming contract misinterpretation. Federal courts have already twice rejected Trump's delay requests. The fight is no longer about liability—the verdict stands—but whether a rehearing petition extends the release timeline beyond what the escrow agreement contemplated.