In a setback for former U.S. President Donald Trump, a London appellate judge has rejected his bid to appeal the dismissal of his lawsuit against Christopher Steele’s company, Orbis Business Intelligence. The lawsuit stemmed from Trump’s allegations that the retired British spy’s dossier contained defamatory and inaccurate claims about his ties to Russia.
The Ruling of Donald Trump’s Case
Judge Karen Steyn had previously ruled in February that Trump’s case lacked merit and ordered him to pay £300,000 in legal fees to Steele’s company. Despite Trump’s attempt to appeal this decision, Lord Justice Mark Warby deemed the appeal unlikely to succeed, citing inconsistencies in Trump’s arguments and the introduction of new points not raised during the initial hearing.
This ruling adds to Trump’s legal woes, as he faces substantial financial penalties this year, including a looming deadline to post a $175 million bond following a civil fraud trial in New York. Additionally, Trump has been ordered to pay $83.3 million in a civil defamation case filed by E. Jean Carroll and is contending with legal fees in multiple criminal cases.
Steele welcomed the decision, characterizing the lawsuit as baseless and expressing gratitude for the court’s ruling. He anticipates further costs to be awarded once details are adjudicated.
Despite this setback, Trump’s team intends to continue appealing the decision. The lawsuit, filed in September, alleged that Steele’s dossier tarnished Trump’s reputation with sensational claims about collusion with Russia during the 2016 election. While Steele’s dossier initially gained attention for its serious allegations, subsequent investigations and legal proceedings have cast doubt on its credibility.
Throughout the ordeal, Steele has maintained that the information he compiled was unverified and intended for further investigation, rather than public dissemination.