A New York judge has ordered former President Donald Trump to pay almost $400,000 in legal expenses for The New York Times and three reporters.
Last week’s ruling by New York Judge Robert Reed was issued in relation to Trump’s $100 million lawsuit that accuses his niece, Mary Trump, The New York Times, and New York Times reporters Susanne Craig, David Barstow, and Russell Buettner of conducting an “insidious plot” to access and released information from Trump’s private tax documents.
According to The Daily Wire, Mary Trump has been accused of breaching a settlement agreement for sharing Donald Trump’s tax documents; however, Reed previously dismissed The New York Times and the reporters from the lawsuit due to First Amendment protections.
Reed cited a “complexity of issues” as the reasoning behind his decision to order the former president to pay $392,638.69 to cover legal expenses for The New York Times and its reporters.
READ MORE: Video: Reporters caught joking about Trump assassination
In response to Reed’s court order against the former president, Danielle Rhoads Ha, a New York Times spokesperson, highlighted the use of New York’s anti-SLAPP law in the case.
Ha told CNN, “Today’s decision shows that the state’s newly amended anti-SLAPP statute can be a powerful force for protecting press freedom. The court has sent a message to those who want to misuse the judicial system to try to silence journalists.”
The New York judge also denied a request by Mary Trump to temporarily pause the lawsuit as she attempts an appeal of a previous decision issued last June that allowed the former president’s lawsuit to advance in court.
Trump’s legal team released a statement after Reed rejected Mary Trump’s request. Alina Habba, Trump’s attorney, told CNN, “While we are disappointed that the NY Times is no longer in this matter, we are pleased that the Court once again affirmed the strength of our claims against Mary and is denying her attempt to avoid accountability. We look forward to proceeding with our claims against her.”
