A lawsuit filed by former US President Donald Trump against Orbis Business Intelligence, a company founded by ex-British spy Christopher Steele, has been dismissed by a London court. The lawsuit centered around the controversial Steele dossier, a document from 2016 containing unverified allegations against Trump that he claimed were false and damaging to his reputation.
Judge Karen Steyn ruled that there were not sufficient grounds for the case to proceed to trial, dealing a blow to Trump’s efforts to seek damages. Orbis Business Intelligence, which was responsible for the dossier, faced political controversy due to its explosive but unproven claims about Trump’s activities in Russia, allegations that Trump vehemently denies.
During the proceedings, Trump’s legal team argued that Orbis had violated British data protection laws, while Steele defended the dossier’s credibility, maintaining that the allegations were never definitively disproven. Trump, in his statement, denied all the accusations in the dossier and claimed personal and reputational harm as a result.
Orbis, in its defense, argued that the lawsuit was unfounded and highlighted that the dossier’s unauthorized publication by BuzzFeed was beyond their control. They also pointed out that Trump’s legal action was not filed in a timely manner. The judge agreed with Orbis’s argument regarding the timing of the lawsuit and dismissed the case.
This legal victory for Orbis adds to Trump’s existing legal challenges as he faces allegations of fraud, mishandling classified documents, and attempts to influence the outcome of the 2020 election in the United States. The dismissal of this lawsuit in London highlights the complexity of Trump’s legal entanglements in both the UK and the US, as he continues to fight multiple legal battles.
