Trump Lawsuit Over Steele Dossier Dismissed by Judge in London
LONDON, U.K. — A judge in London dismissed a lawsuit Thursday that former President Donald Trump filed against the British intelligence agent who wrote the “Steele Dossier” describing his questionable links to the Russian government.
Trump’s lawsuit called the accusations lies that hurt his reputation.
Judge Karen Steyn said Trump waited too long to sue under Britain’s data protection laws.
“The claim for compensation and/or damages … is bound to fail,” Steyn said.
The lawsuit named as a defendant Orbis Business Intelligence, a corporate intelligence and investigative consulting firm. It was founded by former British Secret Intelligence Service agent Christoper Steele, who oversaw the agency’s Russia desk.
He was hired by the Democratic National Committee during the 2016 presidential campaign to investigate rumors that the Trump campaign was influenced by the Russian government.
His 35-page report alleged conspiracy and cooperation that included a Russian-based smear campaign against Hillary Clinton and inappropriate financial ties with Trump’s campaign managers. Some assertions in the Steele Dossier were corroborated months later by the Office of the Director of National Intelligence but others remain unproven.
Parts of the Steele Dossier that prompted Trump to sue in England were claims that he participated in “sex parties” in St. Petersburg, Russia, and mingled with sex workers in Moscow, Russia.
Trump responded to the allegations in a statement that said he never engaged in “perverted sexual behavior including the hiring of prostitutes … in the presidential suite of a hotel in Moscow” or in “sex parties” in St. Petersburg.
The Steele Dossier said salacious information about Trump could help the Russians bribe him under threat of being exposed. Trump denied the Russians had “sufficient material to blackmail me” as well as other allegations that he bribed or intimidated witnesses.
The Steele Dossier was obtained and published by BuzzFeed, an internet media company, in January 2017, which was when Trump learned about it.
Democrat leaders who commissioned it originally planned to keep it as an internal document. It apparently was leaked to the media by someone inside the Democratic Party.
Steele and Orbis said they should not be liable for revealing the information publicly because they were told it would remain an internal document for the Democratic National Committee and the Clinton campaign.
They also said the lawsuit was filed too late.
The judge agreed, saying Trump had “chosen to allow many years to elapse — without any attempt to vindicate his reputation in this jurisdiction — since he was first made aware of the dossier.”
She declined to rule on whether the Steele Dossier allegations were true.
“I have not considered, or made any determination, as to the accuracy or inaccuracy of the [allegations],” she said.
After the dismissal, Trump campaign spokesman Steven Cheung said in a statement, “President Trump will continue to fight for the truth and against falsehoods such as ones promulgated by Steele and his cohorts.”
The judgment in London represents the second major court defeat for Trump in one week.
It follows a New York jury’s decision last week to award $83 million to writer E. Jean Carroll for defamation. Trump mocked Carroll over her claim that he sexually assaulted her years earlier.
The court proceedings have taken a heavy toll on Trump’s campaign finances, according to his latest federal election filing. It shows his committees spent $27 million on legal fees in the last six months of 2023 and nearly $50 million for the year.
More legal expenses are coming as Trump awaits a verdict in a civil fraud trial in New York.
The New York state attorney general says the Trump Organization deceived financial institutions by exaggerating the value of his assets to secure loans and win contracts. Legal analysts say the court’s verdict could cost him as much as $370 million.
He also faces criminal charges in state and federal courts that accuse him of mishandling classified documents, trying to overturn the 2020 presidential election and paying hush money to a porn star.
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