A federal judge in Florida has acquitted the former President Donald Trump and his lawyer, Alina Habba, and ordered them to pay nearly $1 million in fines for filing what he considered a frivolous lawsuit alleging that Hillary Clinton and others involved in the Russia investigation were conspire to tarnish Trump’s reputation.
The opinion from Judge David Middlebrooks called Trump “a powerful and intelligent person who uses the courts to take revenge on political enemies.”
“He is the supreme authority of the use of justice, and he cannot be seen as a judge who blindly follows the advice of a lawyer. He knows very well the impact of his actions,” Middlebrooks wrote in his opinion.
“So, I know that punishment should be imposed on Mr. Trump and his lead lawyer, Ms. Habba,” the judge wrote.
Habba did not immediately return a request for comment from ABC News.
Former President Donald Trump arrives to speak at Mar-a-lago on Election Day, November 8, 2022, in Palm Beach, Fla.
Andrew Harnik/AP, FILE
Trump sued Clinton, his 2016 presidential challenger, for allegedly “collaborating” with the FBI’s top commander to create what he called the Russian Studies to the interference in the 2016 election. Trump argued that the Russia investigation was “prolonged and increased because of the presence of a small group of Clinton loyalists in good positions in the Department of Justice. “
Judge Middlebrooks claim dismissed this past September.
Middlebrooks’ sentence, handed down late Thursday, was immediate Habba and Trump to pay $938,000 to 18 defendants in the case.
“The continued misuse of the courts by Mr. Trump and his attorneys undermines the rule of law, exposes judges as partial, and diverts resources from those who are truly victims of the law,” the letter said. a Middlebrooks in his opinion.
The judge also warned Trump’s lawyers that they could face penalties for themselves various claims refers to New York Attorney General Letitia James, who in September filed a $250 million lawsuit against Trump and members of his family for allegedly defrauding lenders and others with false financial statements and fraud.