President Donald Trump is making a last-ditch effort to stop his payment of nearly $5.8 million to writer E. Jean Carroll after the Supreme Court declined to hear his appeal of a federal New York civil court verdict finding him liable for sexually abusing and defaming her.

In a late Tuesday filing, Trump’s attorneys asked U.S. District Judge Lewis Kaplan not to disburse the funds held in escrow, arguing that the former Elle Magazine columnist cannot collect the judgment while Trump’s petition asking the Supreme Court to reconsider its refusal to hear the case remains pending.