Former US President Donald Trump has faced a setback in a civil lawsuit at the London High Court regarding a dossier alleging his participation in sex parties.
The lawsuit was dismissed today even before the commencement of a full trial, as the judge deemed it had no prospects of success, according to the British news agency PA.
The legal action revolved around a dossier that surfaced in 2017, created by former British intelligence operative Christopher Steele. The dossier cited reports claiming that the Russian intelligence had footage of Trump allegedly participating in orgies in Russia, intending to use it as leverage.
Trump Seeks Damages
Trump consistently denied participating in sex parties in Russia and filed a lawsuit in London against Orbis Business Intelligence, the consulting firm founded by Steele. The 77-year-old former president and potential candidate for the US Republican nomination in the presidential election accused the company of unlawfully using private data and sought damages for the damage to his reputation.
Contention Over Dossier’s Intentions
Trump‘s legal opponents argued that the dossier was never intended for public consumption. They contended that Trump‘s lawsuit should be directed at the website BuzzFeed, which first published the document.
The judge criticized Trump for “letting many years pass” without legally contesting the allegations. The decision marks a blow to Trump‘s attempts to address the reputational damage he claims to have suffered.
The legal battle underscores the intersection of politics, privacy, and media, raising questions about the responsibility of platforms publishing controversial documents and the recourse available to individuals targeted by such materials.
