The legal cases against former U.S. President Donald Trump continue to mount. Most recently, the businessman was handed down a fine of nearly $1 million over a lawsuit he launched against Hilary Clinton.
Judge Donald M. Middlebrooks, a judge with the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida, ruled that Trump, his lawyer Alina Habba, and her firm Habba Madaio and Associates must pay $937,989 USD after filing a lawsuit against “Hillary Clinton, the Democratic National Committee, and other believed rivals.”
Trump’s original lawsuit was already dismissed in September, after he filed it in March 2022.
During the case, he accused Clinton, the Democratic National Committee, and former FBI Director James Comey of fabricating rumors that he had conspired with Russia during his election campaign. Trump’s team claimed that the defendants were specifically trying to taint his political career and keep him from winning the 2016 election.
After losing the case, the defendants (including Clinton) filed a joint motion against Trump, which resulted in the hefty fine.
In his decision, Judge Middlebrooks called Trump’s lawsuit “completely frivolous, both factually and legally,” and said that the former president’s team was trying to use it as a tool to push their false political narrative.
“Mr. Trump is a prolific and sophisticated litigant who is repeatedly using the courts to seek revenge on political adversaries,” he continued. “He is the mastermind of strategic abuse of the judicial process, and he cannot be seen as a litigant blindly following the advice of a lawyer. He knew full well the impact of his actions.”
Judge Middlebrooks added, “This case should never have been brought. Its inadequacy as a legal claim was evident from the start. No reasonable lawyer would have filed it.”
Despite his controversial presidency (and losing the last election to current U.Ss. President Joe Biden), Trump announced he’ll be running again during the 2024 election campaign.
However, the constitutionality of Trump’s most recent election campaign has already been called into question.
He’s currently facing a lawsuit filed by attorney John Anthony Castro, who claims that the election campaign violates Section 3 of the 14th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution, which prevents someone from holding office if they’ve participated in public insurrection.
The lawsuit argues that Trump’s involvement in the 2021 Capitol Riots (he’s been accused of encouraging the rioters via social media) makes him ineligible to run for presidency.
The lawsuit remains ongoing.
Sources: Global News, Bloomberg,