Written by Steve Cannon for USSA News
A Clinton-appointed judge in Florida has ordered former President Donald Trump and his attorney Alina Habba to pay nearly $1 million in fines for filing a frivolous lawsuit against Crooked Hillary Clinton and others involved in the Russia investigation.
The lawsuit, filed by President Trump in March, claimed that Clinton and top FBI leadership unlawfully conspired to damage Trump’s reputation by orchestrating the Russia collusion hoax in 2016 to undermine his candidacy and derail his presidency. Trump had asked for treble damages of expenses and losses of more than $24 million.
However, in September, Judge Donald Middlebrooks dismissed the lawsuit, calling it a “revenge” tactic by a “prolific and sophisticated litigant” who repeatedly uses the courts to seek vengeance on political adversaries.
The judge also imposed sanctions on Trump and Habba, ordering them to pay $938,000 to the 18 defendants in the case. In his opinion, Middlebrooks stated that the “misuse of the courts by Mr. Trump and his lawyers undermines the rule of law, portray judges as partisans, and diverts resources from those who have suffered actual legal harm.”
This is not the first time that Trump and his attorneys have faced legal repercussions for their actions in court. In September, New York Attorney General Letitia James filed a $250 million suit against Trump and his family members for allegedly defrauding lenders and others with false and misleading financial statements. Trump’s attorneys in that case have also been warned that they could face sanctions.
Trump’s actions in court have been widely criticized for being an abuse of the legal system and for undermining the integrity of the judiciary. It is unclear whether Trump and Habba will pay the fines or appeal the decision.