A U.S. federal appeals court has upheld a nearly $1 million financial penalty imposed on President Donald Trump and his former attorney Alina Habba, ruling that their lawsuit against Hillary Clinton and former FBI Director James Comey amounted to “sanctionable conduct.”
In a unanimous decision, the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals confirmed that the lawsuit filed by Trump in 2022 was legally baseless. Chief Judge William Pryor Jr. wrote that many of the arguments presented by Trump and Habba were frivolous, and therefore justified the sanctions imposed by the lower court.
The Atlanta-based court also rejected Trump’s effort to revive the lawsuit, which had alleged a sweeping conspiracy to falsely link Trump’s 2016 presidential campaign to Russia and trigger investigations such as the probe led by special counsel Robert Mueller.
Court Cites ‘Pattern of Court Misuse’
Judge Pryor further agreed with the original trial judge’s reasoning that Trump’s history of misusing the judicial system was properly considered when sanctions were imposed.
The ruling marks yet another setback in Trump’s series of legal attacks against political and media adversaries. It also follows a separate decision last week in which another appeals panel dismissed Trump’s attempt to resurrect his defamation lawsuit against CNN over its use of the phrase “Big Lie” regarding the 2020 election.
No Immediate Response From Trump Camp
Representatives for the White House, Trump’s legal team, and Habba did not immediately issue public statements in response to the ruling.
At the time of the lawsuit, Habba was working as Trump’s private attorney and served as lead counsel in the Russia-related case. She later became a public spokesperson for Trump’s legal team.
In March, Trump appointed Habba as the interim top federal prosecutor in New Jersey. When her term was set to expire in July, the administration used an uncommon legal method to extend her tenure. A federal judge ruled that extension illegal in August, though the Justice Department is now challenging that ruling on appeal.
Lower Court’s Original Ruling
The sanctions were originally ordered by U.S. District Judge Donald Middlebrooks in January 2023. The judge required Trump and Habba to jointly pay the penalty to compensate Clinton, the Democratic National Committee, and other defendants for the legal costs of defending against what the court characterized as a baseless and abusive lawsuit.
In its latest decision, the appeals court fully backed that ruling, calling Trump’s lawsuit an “abuse of judicial resources.”
What This Means Going Forward
With the appeals court’s decision now finalized, Trump and Habba remain financially liable for the nearly $1 million penalty, and the Russia-related lawsuit against Clinton and Comey is permanently closed unless the Supreme Court intervenes.
