Trump ordered to pay hefty legal fees after Steele dossier lawsuit tossed
President Donald Trump has been ordered to pay £626,000 in legal fees after a lawsuit he brought in England was thrown out of court, said The Guardian.
Trump sued Orbis Business Intelligence, a consulting firm founded by Christopher Steele, who penned an extensive memo that claimed Trump was conspiring with Russia to win the 2016 election. The dossier also alleged that as a result of those relationships in Russia, Trump was "compromised."
The dossier made waves after accusations — which Trump denies — that he participated in "perverted" sex acts.
Trump brought a data protection claim in 2022, which was dismissed in 2024. Judge Karen Steyn said at the time, “There are no compelling reasons to allow the claim to proceed."
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Trump was then ordered to pay Orbis’s costs “of the entire claim.” That includes an initial payment of £290,000. During a January hearing, he was ordered to pay the fees within 28 days or his lawyers "would be prevented from addressing the court in April on a future argument about Orbis’s legal fees."
Indeed, the Guardian reported that Trump was prevented from participating in a three-day hearing to decide the total bill. Judge Jason Rowley announced the fee on Thursday, and the president now owes £626,058.98.