Former President Donald Trump faced a setback as a London appellate justice rejected his request to appeal the dismissal of his case against retired British spy Christopher Steele's company over the controversial 2016 dossier.
Trump had sought permission to challenge Judge Karen Steyn's February ruling, which deemed his data privacy case against Steele's company, Orbis Business Intelligence, lacking merit and ordered Trump to pay £300,000 ($387,000) in legal fees.
Trump's Appeal Against Christopher Steele Gets Rejected
Lord Justice Mark Warby deemed Trump's appeal unlikely to succeed, highlighting contradictions in his arguments and the introduction of new points not previously raised, according to a report by CNN.
The ruling compounds Trump's legal woes, with over half a billion dollars in legal penalties this year alone. He also faces a looming deadline to post a $175 million bond after a New York civil fraud trial and a court-mandated $83.3 million payout in a civil defamation lawsuit brought by E. Jean Carroll.
Steele welcomed the decision, labeling the case as baseless and expressing gratitude for the court's ruling. He anticipates further costs awarded once the court resolves the details, according to CNN.
Steele Dossier
Trump initiated the lawsuit last September, alleging damage to his reputation from Steele's claims about his Russian ties, contained in the Steele dossier.
Compiled on behalf of Trump's political adversaries, the dossier contained unverified allegations of collusion with Russia to influence the 2016 election, released just before Trump's inauguration.
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