UK High Court Throws Out Trump Lawsuit

The UK High Court has dismissed a lawsuit filed by former US President Donald Trump against Orbis Business Intelligence, a British consultancy led by ex-MI6 officer Christopher Steele.

The consultancy, known for compiling a controversial dossier connecting Trump to Russia, expressed its delight at the court's decision.

Trump had sought to use data protection laws to sue Orbis, claiming that the dossier, funded by Hillary Clinton's Democrats and other political opponents, violated his data protection rights with inaccurate and damaging allegations of bribery and sex parties.

The High Court ruling, delivered by Mrs Justice Steyn DBE in London, did not pass judgment on the dossier's allegations but found that Trump's claim was time-barred, not brought within the six-year limitation period.

The court stated there were no compelling reasons to allow the claim to proceed to trial.

Orbis responded by asserting that the lawsuit should never have been brought and accused Trump of pursuing vexatious litigation as an attempt to seek revenge and stifle free speech and legitimate investigations.

The consultancy stood by its sources and work, vowing not to be deterred by such legal maneuvers.

This is not the first legal action Trump has taken against Orbis. A federal judge in Florida dismissed another lawsuit in 2022, which also targeted Hillary Clinton and FBI officials.

Steele, the former head of MI6's Russia desk, maintained that the dossier consisted of intelligence-based memos never intended for public release.

The case originated in 2016 when a US political consultancy commissioned Orbis to investigate potential Russian interference in the US general election.

The dossier, leaked to BuzzFeed News, alleged uncorroborated intelligence claims about Trump's relationship with the Kremlin.

In his witness statement, Trump denied the allegations, emphasizing that they had never occurred and caused him ongoing damage and distress.

Despite the court's decision, Trump's spokesperson, Steven Cheung, declared that Trump would continue to fight against what he termed as false allegations by Steele and his associates.

A 2019 US Department of Justice report raised doubts about the reliability of some of Steele's reports, suggesting the possibility of Russia funneling disinformation to him.

Special Counsel Robert Mueller's inquiry did not establish a criminal conspiracy between Trump's campaign and Russian agents but outlined instances where Trump might have obstructed justice during the 2016 election investigation.