A lawsuit filed by former United States President Donald Trump against British private investigation firm Orbis Business Intelligence has been dismissed by a judge in the UK High Court. The judge ruled that there were no compelling legal grounds for the case to proceed to trial.
The lawsuit centered around a dossier compiled by Orbis in 2016 that contained damaging allegations about Mr. Trump’s ties to Russia. Some key details from the judge’s ruling:
- The judge, Justice Karen Steyn, stated there were not sufficient legal reasons for the lawsuit to go to trial. She made no judgement on the truthfulness of the allegations in the dossier.
- Mr. Trump’s legal team filed the lawsuit too late. The statute of limitations had expired on the potential claims.
- The dossier was originally prepared for Mr. Trump’s political opponents and US intelligence agencies. It was not meant for publication.
- Buzzfeed obtained the dossier and published it in 2017, which brought the unverified allegations into the public sphere.
- Mr. Trump accused Orbis of violating UK data protection laws by allowing publication of the dossier. His lawyers argued the claims were “egregiously inaccurate.”
- The judge acknowledged the claims were potentially inaccurate but said the statute of limitations issue made truthfulness irrelevant in her decision.
Background on the Orbis Dossier
Orbis Business Intelligence is a private investigative firm based in London founded by former British intelligence officer Christopher Steele.
In 2016, the firm was hired to research ties between Donald Trump’s presidential campaign and Russian government officials. Their findings were compiled into a 35-page dossier.
The Orbis dossier alleged the Kremlin had been cultivating Trump as an asset for years. It contained explosive but unverified claims about Trump’s 2013 visit to Moscow, including details about sexual acts with prostitutes.
Orbis shared their research with British and American intelligence services. The dossier was not intended to be made public.
In January 2017, Buzzfeed obtained the document and decided to publish it in full. This exposed the unconfirmed allegations to massive public scrutiny.
Trump rejected the entire dossier as fabricated lies invented by his political opponents. He argued it damaged his reputation.
No Evidence Dossier Claims Were True
To date, the salacious claims in the Orbis dossier about Donald Trump’s ties to Russia have not been proven.
US intelligence agencies were unable to verify details about supposed compromising material the Kremlin might have on Trump.
With the lawsuit now dismissed on technical grounds, the truthfulness of the allegations themselves remains murky. Trump’s legal team called them inaccurate, while Orbis and US agencies have not confirmed them.
The judge made no effort to determine accuracy, saying the statute of limitations made it irrelevant. Unless new evidence emerges, the validity of the dossier’s contents may never be known.
Implications for Orbis and Trump
The dismissal represents a setback for Donald Trump in his efforts to clear his name and reputation. However, there is no material impact, as he was not seeking financial damages from Orbis Business Intelligence.
For Orbis, their credibility has taken a hit. The US Department of Justice criticized some aspects of Steele’s reporting in the dossier. Publishing the unverified claims has raised doubts about Orbis’ standards.
However, with no trial, the firm avoided a lengthy public examination of their research methods and sources.
While Orbis avoids liability, Trump’s allies may point to the judge’s decision as support to paint the dossier as unreliable and fabricated. This could further fuel political attacks on Trump’s rivals regarding the Russia allegations.
With the lawsuit now over, the largest lingering impact may be political rather than legal. It provides more ammunition for Trump and his allies to question the basis for the Russia investigation that shadowed his presidency.
