Devendra Kumar
Donald Trump’s legal action against Orbis Business Intelligence, a consultancy founded by former MI6 officer Christopher Steele, has been dismissed by a High Court judge. Trump brought the claim to seek compensation for distress over allegations that he had taken part in “perverted” sex acts and given bribes to Russian officials. The court was told that Trump’s claim was brought for the purpose of harassing Orbis and Steele and pursuing longstanding grievances.
The judge, Mrs. Justice Steyn, ruled that there were no compelling reasons to allow the claim to proceed to trial, as the claim for compensation and damages was bound to fail. According to the judge, Trump had not attempted to vindicate his reputation in this jurisdiction for many years, since he was first made aware of the dossier in 2016, and that he had chosen to allow the allegations to remain public without taking any action. This lack of action led the judge to conclude that the allegations had no impact on Trump’s reputation and therefore his claim was unfounded.
The judge noted that the mere fact that Orbis had held copies of the memos could not cause Trump distress, as the memos are widely available on the internet. This, in combination with the fact that Trump had not attempted to take action to clear his name, led the judge to dismiss Trump’s claim as a vendetta against Orbis and Steele. The judge also acknowledged that Trump has a history of bringing frivolous and meritless claims to vex and harass perceived enemies.
In her ruling, the judge described the case as having no utility or prospects of success. Trump’s lawyer was not present in court, having withdrawn from the case earlier, and the judge indicated that she had reviewed all relevant material before making her decision. The dismissal of Trump’s claim is likely to bring a sense of closure to the matter, and it is unclear at this point whether Trump will appeal the decision.
It is worth noting that Trump’s legal team had claimed that the allegations harmed his reputation and caused him distress, but the judge disagreed. The judge’s ruling suggests that the allegations, although potentially damaging, had no impact on Trump’s reputation because he had not taken any action to defend himself. This raises questions about Trump’s motives for bringing the lawsuit in the first place. Was he genuinely seeking to clear his name, or was it simply a way to harass and intimidate his perceived enemies? The dismissal of the claim provides some clarity, but it also leaves more questions unanswered.