A lawyer for former President Donald Trump told a London judge Monday the ex-president will prove that “shocking and scandalous claims” about him in a discredited dossier by a former British spy were false and harmed his reputation.
Mr. Trump is suing Christopher Steele, the former spy behind the 2016 dossier that contained “shocking and scandalous claims” about his connection with Russia.
Mr. Trump’s lawyers have filed the suit against Orbis Business Intelligence — Mr. Steele’s company — for creating the dossier that had false information and uncorroborated allegations against the former president. He is seeking damages from the company for allegedly violating British data law protections, according to the Associated Press.
Hugh Tomlinson, Mr. Trump’s attorney, said the former president “suffered personal reputational damage and distress” because his data protection rights were violated. He said that Mr. Trump plans to provide evidence that the claims made in the report were false.
The 35-page report included allegations that Mr. Trump paid bribes to Russian officials to aid his business plans. Mr. Trump has said in the past that the dossier was “fake news” and a political witch hunt.
The dossier created by Mr. Steele, who used to run the Russia desk for the Secret Intelligence Service, also known as MI6, was paid for by Democrats who asked him to gather information on Mr. Trump during the 2016 presidential election.
Orbis wants the case thrown out because it has said the report was never supposed to see the light of day and was published without the company’s or Mr. Steele’s permission.
The former president’s lawyers are already fighting a civil fraud case in New York brought on by Attorney General Letitia James alleging that he and his company misled banks, insurers and others by exaggerating his net worth to get larger loans and better insurance rates.
He also faces four criminal cases for allegedly mishandling classified documents in Florida, trying to overturn the 2020 election in Georgia and Washington, and giving hush money payments to cover up an affair in New York.
• This story is based in part on wire service reports.
• Mallory Wilson can be reached at mwilson@washingtontimes.com.
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