Posted on Sun, 20 August 2023
While Donald Trump faced legal issues in New York, a Los Angeles judge quietly granted him a legal victory. The Ninth Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals ruled in his favor, requiring Stormy Daniels to pay $121,972 for legal fees related to her failed defamation lawsuit. This ruling is separate from the Manhattan district attorney's investigation that led to Trump's 34 felony charges, but both cases originated from the same event involving Daniels.
Daniels alleges that she had a relationship with Trump in 2006 and was subsequently compensated by Trump's legal team to prevent her from disclosing the affair before the 2016 presidential election.
Trump initially denied the affair, but he later admitted to reimbursing his then-attorney Michael Cohen for the payments meant to keep the affair secret.
Daniels, whose real name is Stephanie Clifford, attempted to sue Trump for defamation in 2018. She specifically targeted a tweet where Trump questioned her claim of being threatened in 2011 to stay silent about the affair. Trump labeled her account as a "con job, playing the Fake News Media."
Federal Judge S. James Otero dismissed the lawsuit, stating that Trump's tweet falls under " 'rhetorical hyperbole' commonly associated with political discourse" and is protected by the First Amendment.
In 2022, Daniels attempted to appeal the decision, contending that her former attorney Michael Avenatti had initiated the defamation suit "against my wishes and without my permission." Nevertheless, a judge ruled against her, resulting in her being responsible for nearly $300,000 in legal fees incurred by Trump.
Following this, Daniels sought to lower the fee payment. However, her recent request was partially dismissed by the court, ultimately leading to an increased payment amount.
Daniels argued that the fee demand was "excessive and unreasonable," citing instances of overstaffing and redundant tasks performed by the legal team. Court documents reveal that she requested a reduction in fees, specifically proposing a limit of $500/hourly for partners and $350/hourly for associates. However, the appeals commissioner rejected this request, citing factors like inflation and the growing experience of the attorneys involved.
The court rejected another appeal from Daniels, this time asking her to repay Trump $5,150 for the hours spent on responding to her recent appeal. The court stated that the request didn't include a detailed breakdown of the law firm's billing.
"Collectively, our firm obtained over $600,000 in attorney fee awards in his favor in the meritless litigation initiated by Stormy Daniels," stated Trump's attorney Harmeet Dhillion in a tweet celebrating the legal triumph.
Following the appeals court's decision against her the previous year, Daniels tweeted, "I will go to jail before I pay a penny."
