Appeals court upholds $1M penalty against Trump over ‘frivolous’ Hillary Clinton lawsuit
ATLANTA, GEORGIA: A federal appeals court has dealt a blow to Donald Trump's legal battles, upholding a nearly $1 million penalty against the president and his attorney Alina Habba, for filing a "frivolous" lawsuit against Hillary Clinton.
The 11th US Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that Trump and Habba committed "sanctionable conduct" by pursuing claims that Clinton and former FBI Director James Comey conspired to rig the 2016 election.
The panel, led by Chief Judge William Pryor, a George W Bush appointee, affirmed the lower court's decision that the lawsuit was an "abuse of judicial resources."
Judges rules arguments were 'frivolous'
Writing for the unanimous three-judge panel, Judge Pryor did not mince words regarding the validity of the president's legal strategy.
"Many of Trump’s and Habba’s legal arguments were indeed frivolous," Pryor wrote, dismissing the attempt to revive the 2022 lawsuit.
The panel, which included Trump appointee Andrew Brasher and Biden appointee Embry Kidd, agreed that the district court judge had properly considered Trump’s reported "pattern of misusing the courts" when levying the sanctions.
The ruling effectively shut down Trump's bid to sue Clinton, Comey, and the Democratic National Committee over the Russia collusion investigation, a legal fight Trump had reportedly characterized as a battle against a "racketeering conspiracy."
Penalty imposed for 'abuse of the judicial process'
The sanctions were originally imposed in January 2023 by US District Judge Donald Middlebrooks, a Bill Clinton appointee based in Florida.
Middlebrooks had ordered Trump and Habba to pay nearly $1 million to cover the legal fees of the defendants. He had slammed the lawsuit as a political manifesto masquerading as a legal grievance.
"No reasonable lawyer would have filed it," Middlebrooks wrote at the time, accusing Trump of being a "mastermind of strategic abuse of the judicial process."
Pryor’s 36-page opinion echoed these sentiments, rejecting Trump's claims that the lower court was biased and affirming that the lawsuit was "untimely and otherwise meritless."
Alina Habba's legal troubles continue
The ruling is a significant setback for Alina Habba, who served as lead counsel on the case before becoming a prominent spokesperson for Trump's legal defense team.
Habba’s professional conduct has faced increasing scrutiny. Earlier this year, a judge ruled that her temporary appointment as the top federal prosecutor in New Jersey was illegal after the Trump administration used an unusual maneuver to extend her term.
Despite these legal headwinds, Habba remains a key figure in Trump's orbit, frequently appearing on cable news to defend the president against what she describes as "politically motivated" prosecutions.
Another Trump loss in the 11th Circuit
This decision marks the second time in recent days that the Atlanta-based appeals court has ruled against Trump.
Last week, a separate panel, which included two Trump appointees, rejected his effort to revive a defamation lawsuit against CNN for using the term "The Big Lie" to describe his challenges to the 2020 election.
The court ruled that the network's terminology was protected opinion, further narrowing the legal avenues available to Trump.
