X

‘Performative Litigation’: Federal Judge Rips Trump Lawyers, Fines Them $50K

Trump’s baseless claim that a man named Charles Dolan was the source of the “pee tape” allegation just cost his lawyers $50,000 in sanctions, plus another $16,274.23 for Dolan’s costs. More fines are probably coming.

Crybaby Trump decided, in 2022, to sue Hillary Clinton and just about everyone else he and his Fox News pals have demonized for years, plus some you may not have heard of, for grievances over the 2016 election.

From Law&Crime:

Trump claimed Clinton and others, including Charles Halliday Dolan Jr., illegally conspired against his 2016 election campaign by engaging in a plot which alleged that Trump had colluded with Russia. Among the many named defendants were the Democratic National Committee, the Democratic Party’s law firm Perkins Coie, that firm’s former partner Michael Sussmann, Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-Fla. 23), Fusion GPS, Christopher Steele, former FBI Director James Comey, former FBI agent Peter Strzok, former FBI attorneys Lisa Page and Kevin Clinesmith, and former deputy FBI director Andrew McCabe.

U.S. District Judge Donald M. Middlebrooks, a Bill Clinton appointee, dismissed the case in September, in a blistering decision. Law&Crime reported, “Trump’s attorneys said they would appeal the matter. Middlebrooks said he would retain jurisdiction should the dismissed defendants request sanctions — perhaps as a tip of the hat that he would be amenable to such requests.”

Defendant Charles Dolan filed a motion for sanctions and sure enough, Judge Middlebrooks was amenable. He sanctioned Trump attorneys $50,000 and awarded Dolan fees and costs totaling 16,274.23.

Middlebrooks explained his decision in a 19-page order that detailed shockingly awful work by Trump’s attorneys. He said their work “contained factual allegations that were either knowingly false or made in reckless disregard for the truth.” That includes Team Trump's allegation that Dolan “was the source of the salacious sexual activity rumor.” In other words, the pee tape.

Middlebrooks also wrote about Trump’s suit:

Every claim was frivolous, most barred by settled, well-established existing law. These were political grievances masquerading as legal claims. This cannot be attributed to incompetent lawyering. It was a deliberate use of the judicial system to pursue a political agenda.

The conduct was willful, not simply negligent.

Hillary Clinton has also filed a motion for sanctions, Law&Crime notes. In all, there were 31 defendants. So who knows how much Trump’s attorneys will wind up having to cough up? Meanwhile, “It should be no surprise that we will be appealing this decision,” Habba told Law&Crime.

More C&L
Loading ...