Donald Trump asks London court to rule Steele dossier sex claims false

LONDON, Oct 16 (Reuters) – President Donald Trump has sued a private British research firm in a London court to prove that claims that he engaged in “perverted sexual acts” in Russia are false. the former US president said in a document released Monday.

Trump, a front-runner for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination, has accused Orbis Business Intelligence of violating data protections over documents written by Orbis co-founder Christopher Steele, a former British intelligence officer. I’m suing.

The Steele dossier, released by the website Buzzfeed in 2017, alleges ties between the Trump campaign and Russia, saying Trump engaged in sexual acts and provided blackmail material to Russian authorities.

Many of the allegations are unsubstantiated, and lawyers for Mr. Trump, 77, said in a court filing Monday that the report was “grossly inaccurate.”

In a witness statement, President Trump said the document contained “numerous false, false, and fabricated claims” and that he is suing Orbis to “prove through trial evidence that the data is false.” said.

President Trump has never hired prostitutes for “golden showers” (sex acts that involve urinating) at his Moscow hotel, nor has he attended a “sex party” in St. Petersburg, Russia. He also said he had never given authorities “sufficient material to blackmail me.” ”.

But Orbis maintains that Trump is filing the suit solely to address “long-standing grievances” with the company and Steele.

Trump’s case against Orbis is one of many involving the former president, who faces four separate criminal charges in the United States.

Despite his legal problems, Mr. Trump is leading his rivals in the race for the Republican nomination.

“Shocking and scandalous”

Trump’s lawyer, Hugh Tomlinson, said in court that the former president wants to prove that the Steele dossier’s “shocking and scandalous allegations” are false.

“We intend to lighten that burden by presenting evidence in this court,” Tomlinson said, adding that Trump is now more likely to provide oral evidence if the case is allowed to proceed.

But Orbis’ lawyer Anthony White said the reputational damage and pain Trump suffered was caused by Buzzfeed’s release of the documents, and that White never intended for them to be made public. said the lawsuit should be thrown out by the court.

Orbis also claims that President Trump is not suing for vindication, but rather “for the purpose of harassing Orbis and Mr. Steele.”

White said President Trump’s lawsuit against Orbis in London was based on the lawsuit filed in Florida against Orbis, Steele and others, including his Democratic opponent in the 2016 election, Hillary Clinton. It was only after a similar case was dismissed, he said.

He also cited President Trump’s countersuit against author E. Jean Carroll and the allegations against New York Attorney General Letitia James, calling them “frivolous and unworthy” to harass those whom Trump considered his enemies. “This shows a long history of repeating persistent claims,” ​​he said.

Trump did not attend Monday’s hearing in London and was not required to attend. Mr. Steele attended the hearing and sat alongside Orbis’ lawyers.

Tomlinson acknowledged at the beginning of Monday’s hearing that Trump has a “numerous and diverse” number of lawsuits in the United States, and that his client has “at times been subject to serious criticism from judges.” said.

But he added: “None of this has anything to do with whether the personal data is accurate.”

Tomlinson said he would be entitled to at least 18,000 pounds ($21,893) in damages if Trump’s case were successful after trial. This is the amount awarded to oligarchs Mikhail Friedman and Petr Aven in separate cases against Orbis.

Judge Karen Stein said at the end of the hearing that she would rule later on whether Trump’s lawsuit could proceed.

(This story has been reedited to correct typo in paragraph 6)

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