Donald Trump has refused to pay £290,000 ($360,000) in legal fees following the dismissal of his lawsuit against Orbis Business Intelligence in the UK. The lawsuit revolved around allegations made in a controversial dossier authored by Orbis co-founder Christopher Steele. The dossier included claims of ties between Trump's 2016 election campaign and Russia, alongside other salacious allegations, all of which Trump denied.
The court in London recently heard from Trump's lawyer, Jacqueline Perry, who acknowledged the "slightly unusual position" they were in with a "slightly unusual client." Judge Jason Rowley ruled that Trump must settle the £290,000 within 28 days. Failure to comply could prevent Trump's legal team from addressing the court in April on further arguments concerning Orbis's legal fees.
"It's difficult to get instructions when your client is president of the free world and trying to turn everything upside down," said Jacqueline Perry.
The dossier's claims were largely unsubstantiated, prompting Trump's legal team to label them as "egregiously inaccurate" with "numerous false, phoney or made-up allegations." Despite these assertions, Judge Karen Steyn dismissed Trump's data protection lawsuit, stating that "there are no compelling reasons to allow the claim to proceed."
Trump's lawyers argued that he had "sovereign immunity" from enforcement actions due to his status as a head of state. However, this argument was deemed "completely hopeless" by the court. Additionally, Trump's attempt to use the case to disprove claims of "perverted sexual acts" in Russia was unsuccessful.
"That was the only reason the case was struck out," Jacqueline Perry commented on the dismissal.
Orbis's legal representatives confirmed that Trump had been ordered to make a payment of £290,000 towards their legal fees, with additional sums likely forthcoming. The refusal to pay these fees could have significant implications for Trump's legal standing in future proceedings.
Judge Karen Steyn noted, "There are no compelling reasons to allow the claim to proceed."