UK Judge Orders Trump to Pay $821K in Legal Fees

UPDATE Apr 4, 2025 12:02 PM CDT

A British judge ruled Thursday that President Trump has to pay the firm behind the notorious Steele dossier $821,000, reports Reuters. Trump, whose lawyers said the "shocking and scandalous claims" in the dossier were false, accused Orbis Business Intelligence of violating data protection rights, but a court threw the case out last year and ordered Trump to pay Orbis' costs. Trump wasn't allowed to have representation at this week's hearing because he failed to make a payment of $385,000 ordered last year. The judge said Thursday that the figure for Orbis' legal costs was "both reasonable and proportionate," the Guardian reports. A lawyer for Orbis described Trump as an "aggressive litigator" who "has a history of pursuing vendettas, certainly legally."

Mar 9, 2024 4:50 PM CST

The latest court order demanding that Donald Trump pay up has come from London. A judge there has determined that the former president owes $385,000 in legal fees to Orbis Business Intelligence, which he sued over the Christopher Steele dossier, CNN reports that court documents show. The UK courts last month threw out Trump's lawsuit against Steele's company over unverified, salacious allegations it contained that became public concerning the former president, who denied them. Trump's tab in the case could increase further.

Another judge will decide later the total amount due from Trump, per CNBC; Orbis wants more to cover its legal costs. Trump's lawyers argued that the reimbursement should be low because the case was dismissed early, before Orbis had to file a defense. Judge Karen Steyn said Trump has to pay the $385,000 first, per ABC News, giving him 28 days to do so. A lawyer for the former president did not immediately comment on the order. (More Donald Trump stories.)