A federal circuit court had earlier sanctioned Trump and his attorney, Alina Habba, for filing a “frivolous” lawsuit against Hillary Clinton and other Democratic officials.
Former President Donald Trump has appealed a court’s decision to impose nearly $1 million in sanctions against him after the judge found the controversial politician’s lawsuit against Hillary Clinton “frivolous” and lacking merit.
According to CNBC, Trump and his attorney, Alina Habba, filed the appeal on Monday.
In their filing, Trump and Habba said that they were willing to put up a $1,031,788 bond to cover the costs of the sanctions while the federal Court of Appeals for the 11th Circuit considered the matter.
Trump and Habba, adds CNBC, recently appealed another determination, in which a lower court dismissed the former president’s lawsuit and ordered $50,000 in sanctions against his legal team.
Jesse Binnall, an attorney representing both Trump and Habba, said that the claim against Clinton should have withstood scrutiny.
“The Florida federal lawsuit filed on behalf of President Trump was factually correct and legally sound,” Binnall said.
“We look forward to making our case to the Eleventh Circuit as each and every one of the decisions by the district court should be decisively reversed,” Binnall added.
In his initial lawsuit, Trump—seeking some $70 million damages—accused Clinton and other Democratic officials of constructing the “false narrative” that Trump and his 2016 presidential campaign had colluded with Russia to try and win the election.
Judge John Middlebrooks dismissed the lawsuit in September with prejudice, meaning that Trump cannot re-file the claim at a later date.
Shortly afterward, Middlebrooks imposed $50,000 in sanctions on Habba and other Trump attorneys.
And, in January, Middlebrooks issued an additional $937,000 in sanctions, payable by both Habba and Trump.
“We are confronted with a lawsuit that should never have been filed, which was completely frivolous, both factually and legally, and which was brought in bad faith for an improper purpose,” Middlebrooks wrote in his order.
“Its inadequacy as a legal claim was evident from the start,” Middlebrooks wrote. “No reasonable lawyer would have filed it. Intended for a political purpose, none of the counts of the amended complaint stated a cognizable legal claim.”
Middlebrooks went on to deride Trump as a “mastermind of strategic abuse of the judicial process,” as well as a “prolific and sophisticated litigant who is repeatedly using the courts to seek revenge on political adversaries.”
Middlebrooks also warned Trump that he could face further sanctions as the result of another lawsuit filed against New York Attorney General Letitia James, who had fled a $250 million fraud complaint against the former president and his company.
Trump, writes CNBC, voluntarily dropped his claim against James one day after Middlebrooks’ ruling.
Sources
Trump appeals nearly $1 million in sanctions for ‘frivolous’ suit he filed against Hillary Clinton
Trump offers $1 million bond to appeal Clinton lawsuit sanctions
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