A London appellate justice has rejected former President Donald Trump's request to appeal the dismissal of his case against retired British spy Christopher Steele's company over the controversial 2016 dossier. The case centered around Trump's data privacy claim, alleging that Steele had harmed his reputation by spreading inaccurate claims about his Russian ties.
The appellate justice, Lord Justice Mark Warby, stated that Trump's appeal had no real prospect of success. He found some of Trump's arguments to be contradictory and noted that the appeal introduced new points that were not presented in the initial case before Judge Karen Steyn.
This ruling marks another legal setback for Trump, who has faced over half a billion dollars in legal penalties this year. In addition to the case against Steele, Trump is also dealing with a New York civil fraud trial where he faces a deadline to post a $175 million bond. Furthermore, he has been ordered to pay $83.3 million in a civil defamation case brought by E. Jean Carroll.
Steele expressed gratitude for the ruling, calling the case vexatious and without merit. He looks forward to receiving the interim payment from Trump and expects a further costs award once the court finalizes the details.
Trump's team plans to continue appealing the decision. The lawsuit against Steele was initiated in September, alleging that Steele's claims in the dossier were damaging to Trump's reputation. The dossier, compiled by Steele on behalf of Trump's political opponents, contained unverified claims about Trump's alleged collusion with Russia during the 2016 election.
Despite the initial credibility of the dossier, subsequent US government investigations and legal actions have discredited many of its claims. Steele has maintained that the information he gathered was unverified and required further investigation, emphasizing that it was never intended for public release.
