London’s High Court has dismissed a data protection lawsuit filed by Donald Trump against Orbis Business Intelligence, a British private investigation company, on Thursday.
The lawsuit was centered around claims made in a dossier by Christopher Steele, a former British intelligence officer and co-founder of Orbis, which alleged ties between Trump’s campaign and Russia.
British high court tosses out Donald Trump's lawsuit against a British Investigation firm because there's no there there.https://t.co/t8TmxSWzgE
— NANCY OSHEA 🇺🇸 🇺🇦 🇮🇱🌈👩⚖️ (@NANCYOSHEA18) February 1, 2024
Judge Karen Steyn ruled that there were no compelling reasons to allow the claim to proceed to trial. Trump had initiated the lawsuit in an attempt to refute allegations made in the Steele dossier, particularly those suggesting his involvement in "perverted sexual acts" in Russia.
Trump’s legal team argued that the dossier contained numerous false allegations, while Orbis countered by suggesting that the lawsuit was merely an attempt by Trump to settle his grievances against Steele and the company.
The dismissal of Trump’s lawsuit comes amid his involvement in multiple legal battles, including facing four criminal prosecutions in the US.
Trump's federal 2020 election obstruction trial, initially slated to begin on March 4, has been removed from the public calendar.
Judge Tanya Chutkan, who presides over the case, had previously frozen the trial while Trump appealed on the grounds of presidential immunity.
“Donald Trump’s March 4 trial on election fraud charges has been dropped from the court calendar. In December, Judge Tanya Chutkan agreed to freeze the case while Trump appealed the indictment on presidential immunity grounds," Newsweek reported.
"Its removal from the court calendar signals that the case will likely not begin for several more months, pushing it closer to the presidential election in November. The Washington, D.C., Court of Appeals is now considering the case, and it will likely go to the U.S. Supreme Court after that,” it added.
The trial's removal from the public calendar suggests a likely postponement, pending the outcome of the immunity appeal process.
The appeal, which was heard by a three-judge panel at the D.C. Circuit on January 9, concerns whether Trump can claim absolute immunity to dismiss the case related to his time in office. However, it remains unclear when the panel will render a decision.
Speculation arose regarding the removal of the March 4 trial date, with some suggesting it signaled a potential dismissal of the case. However, legal experts dismissed such claims, emphasizing the procedural complexities and the ongoing appeal process.
Chutkan’s recent scheduling of hearings and filings suggest that the trial's suspension will continue until the immunity appeal is resolved. Despite offering Trump’s legal team ample time to prepare, Chutkan clarified that this period would not apply to the stay of the case.
