Trump ordered to pay legal bill of UK firm he sued over Russia dossier
Source: AP
Updated 12:27 PM EDT, April 3, 2025
LONDON (AP) A British judge on Thursday ordered U.S. President Donald Trump to pay more than 625,000 pounds ($820,000) in legal costs to a company he unsuccessfully sued over a dossier alleging he took part in sex acts in Russia. Trump filed a claim in 2022 against Orbis Business Intelligence, a consulting firm founded by former British intelligence officer Christopher Steele.
Steele was paid by Democrats to compile a 2016 dossier that contained rumors and uncorroborated allegations that caused a political storm just before Trumps first inauguration. It said that Trump had been compromised by Russias security service, and included two memos that claimed Trump had taken part in sex parties in St. Petersburg and consorted with sex workers in Moscow.
Trump denies all the allegations. His lawyers said the shocking and scandalous claims were false and harmed his reputation. He sued the company, saying the dossier was phony and Orbis had violated British data protection laws. In a written witness statement, Trump said the allegations were wholly untrue.
Trump said he had not engaged in perverted sexual behavior including the hiring of prostitutes ... in the presidential suite of a hotel in Moscow, taken part in sex parties in St. Petersburg, bribed Russian officials, or provided them with sufficient material to blackmail me. Judge Karen Steyn threw out the case in February 2024, without ruling on the truth of the allegations. She said the claim was bound to fail, in part because Trump had waited several years to bring the action.
Read more: https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-steele-dossier-uk-lawsuit-0f6a30389cade06051f66b9e6e64e78f

BoRaGard
(4,739 posts)Don't get all pissy.
Lovie777
(17,669 posts)Buddyzbuddy
(648 posts)drmeow
(5,512 posts)and one hotel. They should just give one of those properties to the law firm. I would TOTALLY support that.
Buddyzbuddy
(648 posts)all of his assets to keep them from being sold until the debt is paid.
drmeow
(5,512 posts)A lien's not good enough - he will ignore it. Seize one of the properties will get his attention.
Not sure what is allowed in the UK.
slightlv
(5,246 posts)wasn't originally ordered by the Democrats. Why can't anyone remember long enough to state that it started out as a Republican project. When it looked like trump was gonna be nominated, they dumped it and the Dems picked it up. Doesn't anyone else remember?