Federal judge imposes sanctions on Trump's attorneys for frivolous lawsuit

November 13, 2022

Back on September 25 I reported (here) that a federal judge had dismissed a lawsuit brought by Donald Trump against Hillary Clinton, former FBI Director James Comey, Rep. Adam Schiff, and others that alleged that the defendants conspired to spread disinformation about his campaign during the 2016 presidential election.  The judge found the claims to be frivolous but did not impose sanctions, although suggested that sanctions might be imposed later.

Well, finally the other shoe dropped.  Last week, the judge imposed sanctions on several members of Trump’s legal team, saying the claims in the case were political grievances masquerading as legal claims.

As a result, lawyers Alina Habba, Michael T. Madaio, Habba Madaio & Associates, Peter Ticktin, Jamie Alan Sasson, and The Ticktin Law Group, were ordered to jointly and severally pay $50,000 into the registry of the Court and $16,274.23 in attorney's fees to one of the defendants.  

You can read the 19 page order here, and you can find more information and commentary at the ABA Journal, Jurist and Politico.

UPDATE 11/17/22:  Tech Dirt has a comment on the order here.