A London appellate justice has refused former President Donald Trump’s request to appeal the dismissal of his case against retired British spy Christopher Steele’s company over the controversial 2016 dossier. Trump had filed the lawsuit against Steele, claiming that his reputation was harmed by inaccurate claims about his Russian ties. However, Judge Karen Steyn found the case lacking in merit and ordered Trump to pay £300,000 in legal fees to Steele’s company, Orbis Business Intelligence. Trump’s request to stay the payment was also denied.
Lord Justice Mark Warby stated that Trump’s appeal had no real prospect of success, as some of his arguments were contradictory and he attempted to introduce new points that were not previously presented before Steyn. This ruling comes as a blow to Trump, who has faced more than half a billion dollars in legal penalties this year alone, including a $175 million bond due in a New York civil fraud trial and an $83.3 million payment to E. Jean Carroll in a civil defamation case. Trump also faces legal fees in four separate criminal cases.
Steele expressed his gratitude for the ruling, stating that he believes the case was vexatious and without merit. He looks forward to receiving the interim payment from Trump and potentially additional costs awarded by the court. Despite the ruling, Trump’s team plans to continue appealing the decision. The lawsuit was originally brought against Steele in September, alleging that Steele’s claims in the dossier were damaging to Trump’s reputation and were made on behalf of his political opponents.
The Steele dossier, which contained uncorroborated claims about Trump’s ties to Russia, was made public just before Trump’s inauguration in 2017. The dossier claimed that Trump had conspired with the Kremlin to win the 2016 election and that Russia had compromising information on him. While initially considered credible due to Steele’s reputation, subsequent US government investigations and lawsuits have discredited many of the claims made in the dossier. Steele has maintained that the claims were unverified tips requiring further investigation and were never meant to be released to the public.
In conclusion, Trump’s request to appeal the dismissal of his case against Christopher Steele’s company has been denied by a London appellate justice. The case, which alleged that Steele’s claims in the controversial 2016 dossier damaged Trump’s reputation, was found to lack merit. Trump has been ordered to pay legal fees to Steele’s company and has faced significant legal penalties this year in various other cases. Despite the ruling, Trump’s team plans to continue appealing the decision. Steele has expressed his gratitude for the ruling and looks forward to receiving payment from Trump. The Steele dossier, which contained unverified claims about Trump’s ties to Russia, has been discredited in subsequent investigations and lawsuits. Steele maintains that the claims were meant for further investigation and were not intended for public release.
