Raw: [Donald Trump has to pay The New York Times $400,000 in legal fees over their story about his wealth and taxes Fortune] {Article Source: https://fortune.com/2024/01/13/donald-trump-ordered-pay-new-york-times-400000-legal-attorney-fees/}
HomeNewsTechFinanceLeadershipWellRecommendsFortune 500Home PageAlready have an account?SIGN INSEARCHSubscribe NowSectionsFORTUNE 500NewsEuropeAsiaTechAIFinancePersonal FinanceReal EstateCryptoLeadershipSuccessWellLifeHealthMindFamilyAging WellRecommendsCredit CardsBankingInsuranceMortgagesInvestingLoansCouponsEducationVideoRankingsFORTUNE 500GLOBAL 500MOST POWERFUL WOMENGREAT PLACE TO WORK LISTSBEST MBA PROGRAMSMORE RANKINGSAnalyticsNewslettersMagazineDecember 2023/January 2024October/November 2023August/September 2023June/July 2023April/May 2023February/March 2023Live MediaCEO InitiativeConnect Politics ·MediaDonald Trump has to pay The New York Times $400,000 in legal fees over their story about his wealth and taxesBYMichael R. Sisak and The Associated PressFormer President Donald Trump speaks during a news conference, Thursday, Jan. 11, 2024, in New York. AP Photo/Mary AltafferFormer President Donald Trump was ordered Friday to pay nearly $400,000 in legal fees to The New York Times and three investigative reporters after he sued them unsuccessfully over a Pulitzer Prize-winning 2018 story about his family’s wealth and tax practices.
The newspaper and reporters Susanne Craig, David Barstow and Russell Buettner were dismissed from the lawsuit in May. Trump’s claim against his estranged niece, Mary Trump, that she breached a prior settlement agreement by giving tax records to the reporters is still pending.
New York Judge Robert Reed said that given the “complexity of the issues” in the case and other factors, it was reasonable that Donald Trump be forced to pay lawyers for the Times and the reporters a total of $392,638 in legal fees.
“Today’s decision shows that the state’s newly amended anti-SLAPP statute can be a powerful force for protecting press freedom,” Times spokesperson Danielle Rhoads Ha said, referring to a New York law that bars baseless lawsuits designed to silence critics. Such lawsuits are known as SLAPPs or strategic lawsuits against public participation.
“The court has sent a message to those who want to misuse the judicial system to try to silence journalists,” Rhoads Ha said.
In a separate ruling Friday, Reed denied a request by Mary Trump – now the sole defendant – that the case be put on hold while she appeals his June decision that allowed Donald Trump’s claim against her to proceed.
Mary Trump’s lawyers declined comment.
Donald Trump’s lawyer, Alina Habba, said they remain disappointed that the Times and its reporters were dropped from the case. She said they are pleased that the court has “once again affirmed the strength of our claims against Mary and is denying her attempt to avoid accountability.”
“We look forward to proceeding with our claims against her,” Habba said.
Donald Trump’s lawsuit, filed in 2021, accused the Times and its reporters of relentlessly seeking out Mary Trump as a source of information and convincing her to turn over confidential tax records. He claimed the reporters were aware her prior settlement agreement barred her from disclosing the documents, which she’d received in a dispute over family patriarch Fred Trump’s estate.
The Times’ reporting challenged Donald Trump’s claims of self-made wealth by documenting how his father, Fred Trump, had given him at least $413 million over the decades, including through tax avoidance schemes. Mary Trump identified herself in a book published in 2020 as the source of the documents.
The Times’ story said that Donald Trump and his father avoided gift and inheritance taxes by methods including setting up a sham corporation and undervaluing assets to tax authorities. The Times says its report was based on more than 100,000 pages of financial documents, including confidential tax returns for the father and his companies.
Donald Trump, who sought $100 million in damages, alleged Mary Trump, the Times and the reporters “were motivated by a personal vendetta” against him. He accused them of engaging “in an insidious plot to obtain confidential and highly sensitive records which they exploited for their own benefit.”
In dismissing the Times and its reporters from the lawsuit, Reed wrote that legal news gathering is “at the very core of protected First Amendment activity.”
Mary Trump, 58, is the daughter of Donald Trump’s brother, Fred Trump Jr., who died in 1981 at age 42. She is an outspoken critic of her uncle, whom she has regarded as “criminal, cruel and traitorous.”
In July, Mary Trump filed a counterclaim against Donald Trump under New York’s anti-SLAPP law, arguing that Donald Trump’s lawsuit was “purely retaliatory and lacking in merit” and intended to “chill her and others from criticizing him in the future.”Get the business news that matters most to you with our customizable digest, Fortune Daily. Register to get it delivered free to your inbox.The Latest0 minutes agoLifestyle – EntertainmentMemorabilia auction for HBO’s ‘Succession’ takes in $627,000 as fans scoop up props, including Tom Ford sneakers at $2,125BYIrina Anghel, Alicia Diaz, and others0 minutes agoLifestyle – sportsThe winter storm hitting Buffalo is so brutal the NFL is postponing a playoff game between the Bills and SteelersBYJohn Wawrow, Jennifer Peltz, and others0 minutes agoEnvironment – electric vehiclesNorway just opened an area bigger than Ecuador to deep-sea mining activities—a move that could hurt the environment while helping EV makersBYTodd Woody and Bloomberg0 minutes agoTech – electric vehiclesWith carmakers in a ‘state of shock’ over Tesla-beating BYD’s prices, EU investigators will visit China’s EV giants as part of an anti-subsidy probeBYSteve Mollman0 minutes agoPolitics – AsiaBiden says ‘we do not support independence’ for Taiwan after its election returns party seeking to limit Beijing’s influenceBYJustin Sink and Bloomberg0 minutes agoPolitics – MediaMike Lindell suggests Fox News is trying to silence him by stopping MyPillow ads while network says his company hasn’t paid the billsBYSteve Karnowski and The Associated PressRankings40 Under 40100 Best CompaniesFortune 500Global 500Most Powerful WomenWorld’s Greatest LeadersWorld’s Most Admired CompaniesSee All RankingsSectionsFinanceLeadershipSuccessTechAsiaEuropeEnvironmentFortune CryptoHealthWellRetailLifestylePoliticsNewslettersMagazineFeaturesCommentaryMPWCEO InitiativeConferencesPersonal FinanceRecommendsCouponsCustomer SupportFrequently Asked QuestionsCustomer Service PortalPrivacy PolicyTerms of UseSingle Issues for PurchaseInternational PrintCommercial ServicesFortune Brand StudioFortune AnalyticsFortune ConferencesAdvertisingBusiness DevelopmentAbout UsAbout UsEditorial CalendarWork at FortuneBehavioral Advertising NoticeTerms and ConditionsSite Map© 2023 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information | Ad Choices
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