Former US President Donald Trump has been directed to pay approximately $400,000 in legal fees to The New York Times and three investigative journalists on January 12. This stems from a lawsuit related to a Pulitzer Prize-winning 2018 story by the newspaper and reporters Susanne Craig, David Barstow, and Russell Buettner, which delved into Donald Trump's family wealth and tax practices.
In 2021, Trump filed a lawsuit over the Pulitzer-winning story, accusing his estranged niece, Mary Trump, of providing tax records to the reporters in violation of a settlement agreement. However, the newspaper and the reporters were dismissed from the lawsuit in May, leaving Trump's suit against Mary Trump pending.
Trump contended that the reporters were aware of a settlement agreement with Mary Trump that prohibited her from disclosing the documents received during a dispute over Fred Trump's estate. The 2018 story alleged that Donald Trump and his father evaded gift and inheritance taxes through the undervaluation of assets to tax authorities and the establishment of a sham corporation. The report claimed to be based on over 100,000 pages of financial documents, including confidential tax returns.
New York Judge Robert Reed justified the order for Donald Trump to pay a total of $392,638 in legal fees to the Times and reporters, citing the complexity of the case. The decision was framed within a New York law designed to deter baseless lawsuits aimed at stifling criticism, known as SLAPPs (strategic lawsuits against public participation). Times spokesperson Danielle Rhoads Ha praised the ruling, stating it highlighted the efficacy of the state's anti-SLAPP statute in safeguarding press freedom.
In a separate ruling on January 12, Judge Robert Reed rejected Mary Trump's request to pause the case while she appealed his earlier decision allowing Donald Trump's claim against her to proceed.
Donald Trump's lawyer, Alina Habba, expressed disappointment at the Times and reporters being removed from the case but welcomed the court's affirmation of their claims against Mary Trump. Habba stated they look forward to advancing their claims against her.
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