In a stinging legal defeat, former President Donald Trump has been ordered by a New York judge to pay the New York Times and three of its reporters nearly $400,000 in legal fees. The ruling, issued on Friday, stems from a 2021 lawsuit Trump filed against the Times, its reporters Maggie Haberman, David Barstow, and Susanne Craig, and his estranged niece Mary Trump.
Trump’s lawsuit centered on a series of 2018 Times articles about his finances, particularly focusing on claims that he inflated his assets and minimized his debts. He accused the reporters and his niece, who provided some tax documents to the Times, of conspiring to obtain his confidential tax returns through “unlawful means.” Specifically, Trump alleged they pressured Mary Trump to violate a nondisclosure agreement she had signed as part of a family settlement.
The Times and its reporters vigorously denied the allegations, arguing that they obtained the tax documents through legal means from unidentified sources. They further argued that Trump’s lawsuit was a thinly veiled attempt to silence independent journalism and suppress reporting on his finances, which he had kept largely under wraps throughout his career.
Judge Robert Reed sided with the Times and its reporters. In his May 2023 dismissal of the lawsuit, he criticized Trump’s claims as “baseless” and “a cynical attempt to stifle the media’s ability to report on matters of public concern.” He further deemed the lawsuit “an abuse of the court system” and hinted at potential sanctions against Trump.
Friday’s order awarding legal fees marks the culmination of that threat. “This is a significant victory for the First Amendment and for the free press,” said Jennifer Singer, a lawyer representing the New York Times. “The court’s decision sends a clear message that powerful individuals cannot use the courts to silence journalists and suppress legitimate news reporting.”
The ruling is a major blow to Trump, who has faced mounting legal troubles since leaving office. It also serves as a strong precedent for protecting journalistic freedom and the right to report on matters of public interest, even when those matters involve powerful individuals like former presidents.
