Donald Trump has scored a significant win against Stormy Daniels after the adult film star was ordered to pay more than $120,000 in additional legal fees to the former president. In a much needed boost for Trump, the 9th US Circuit Court of Appeals sided with him in his effort to recoup legal fees from Ms Daniels, who lost a defamation suit against him. She has now been ordered to pay Donald Trump’s lawyers $122,000 in fees, in addition to the $500,000-plus in court ordered payments to his lawyers that she was already asked to pay.
This lawsuit is unrelated to the former president’s arrest and charges in New York on Tuesday.
The president’s eldest son Donald Trump Jr. took to Twitter to comment on the decision. He said: “BREAKING!!! the 9th Circuit just awarded Trump $121,962.56 in attorney fees from Stormy Daniels. Order just released. This in addition to the roughly $500k she already owes him.
“LOL glad she’s out there saying her T-shirt sales are booming she’ll be able to afford to pay Trump!”
Trump attorney Harmeet Dhillon also took to Twitter to celebrate the latest ruling, which will be a significant boost for the former US President.
He wrote: “Congratulations to President Trump on this final attorney fee victory in his favour this morning.
“Collectively, our firm obtained over $600,000 in attorney fee awards in his favour in the meritless litigation initiated by Stormy Daniels.”
The boost came hours after Mr Trump became the first US President ever to be criminally charged. The 76-year-old pleaded not guilty in New York to 34 felony counts of falsifying business records.
Daniels was allegedly paid $130,000 in “hush money” during the 2016 presidential campaign to maintain her silence about an affair she claimed she had with Trump. Mr Trump has always strongly denied the affair took place.
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In 2018, the adult film – real name Stephanie Clifford – sued Mr Trump after he called an allegation made by her a “total con job”.
District Judge S. James Otero dismissed the lawsuit in October of that year, saying Mr Trump’s statement was protected by the First Amendment.
He wrote at the time: “The Court agrees with Mr. Trump’s argument because the tweet in question constitutes ‘rhetorical hyperbole’ normally associated with politics and public discourse in the United States.
“The First Amendment protects this type of rhetorical statement.”
The District Judge later ordered Daniels to pay around $293,000 in legal fees, while a failed appeal at a later date cost her a further $245,000.
She had asked to he appeals court to knock down another award, but the court declined that request.
The 9th Circuit filing stated: “Clifford’s argument that the fee request is unreasonable and excessive is not well-founded,” the 9th Circuit filing stated.
“Trump’s attorneys reasonably spent the requested 183.35 hours preparing a motion to dismiss, a reply to the opposition to the motion, two extension motions, the answering brief, and the fee application.”
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