NEW YORK – Former U.S. President Donald Trump has been ordered by a New York judge to pay nearly $400,000 in legal costs to The New York Times and three of its reporters. The lawsuit, filed by Trump last year, was dismissed by the court.
The original lawsuit was in response to a 2018 investigation carried out by The Times into Trump’s finances and taxes. The series of articles that resulted from the investigation won a Pulitzer Prize for explanatory reporting. Trump accused the newspaper and reporters of engaging in an “insidious plot” with his niece, Mary Trump, to obtain his tax records for the articles.
Judge Robert Reed, in dismissing Trump’s suit, stated that reporters are protected by the First Amendment and allowed to engage in legal news-gathering activities without fear of tort liability. He also ordered Trump to pay the attorneys’ fees and other legal costs of The Times and the three reporters.
The Times had requested costs amounting to $229,921 for the newspaper and $162,717 for the reporters. Trump opposed the request, claiming that the amount was unjustified and included duplicative work. However, Judge Reed deemed the requested amount to be reasonable, considering the complexity of the lawsuit, the attorneys’ reputation, and the success they achieved in getting the case dismissed.
This ruling supports the freedom of the press as protected by the First Amendment. It sends a message that the judicial system will not tolerate frivolous lawsuits aimed at silencing journalists. The New York Times welcomed the decision, stating that it highlighted the strength of the state’s anti-SLAPP statute in protecting press freedom.
In conclusion, a New York judge has ordered former President Donald Trump to pay nearly $400,000 in legal costs to The New York Times and its reporters. The court dismissed Trump’s lawsuit, which alleged an “insidious plot” to obtain his tax records. This ruling reaffirms the importance of press freedom and sends a clear message against the misuse of the judicial system to silence journalists.