A court in Florida has ordered former US President Donald Trump and one of his lawyers to pay almost $1 million in fines for filing a frivolous lawsuit against nearly three dozen alleged political enemies, including Hillary Clinton and former FBI agent James Comey. This is reported by The New York Times.

The decision was a major blow to Trump, who has rarely seen such repercussions in his long history of using the courts as a weapon against business rivals and partners, as well as former employees and journalists.

Former US President and his lawyer Alina Hubba accused former US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and 30 other defendants of trying to defame Trump during the 2016 election campaign. They demanded compensation in the amount of $70 million.

In March 2022, Trump sued Clinton, who fought him for the presidency in 2016, accusing her and others of conspiring to spread false information about his alleged ties to Russia. In June 2022, Trump included materials from the closed case of US Special Counsel John Durham against Democratic lawyer Michael Sussman in the lawsuit. In September, the court dismissed the lawsuit, but Trump’s representatives appealed the decision.

A counter-petition was later filed by Clinton and other defendants. They called the claims of the ex-president unfounded and demanded to recover more than $1 million from Trump himself and his lawyer. The court satisfied the claim and fined Trump and Hubba $937.9 thousand.

“This case should never have been brought. Its inadequacy as a legal action was evident from the outset. No reasonable lawyer would have brought it. Intended for political purposes, none of the points in the amended complaint contained a verifiable legal action,” U.S. District Judge Donald Middlebrooks said in the ruling, noting that “Trump and his lawyers are abusing the judiciary.”

“Trump is a prolific and sophisticated litigator who has repeatedly used the courts to exact revenge on political opponents. He is the mastermind behind strategic abuses in the litigation and should not be seen as blindly following counsel. He was well aware of the consequences of his actions,” he wrote. judge.

Middlebrooks explained that Trump’s lawsuit was “in bad faith for an improper purpose” and “necessarily harmed” 31 individuals and entities, including the Democratic National Committee, whom he sued “in order to dishonestly advance a political narrative.”

The judge added that Trump’s use of the courts helped undermine public confidence in them.

“The consistent practice of misusing the courts by Trump and his lawyers undermines the rule of law, portrays judges as vested interests, and diverts resources from those who have suffered real legal harm,” Middlebrooks said.

The NYT states that the former US president faced “a wide range of legal challenges and criminal investigations.”

“His lawyers are increasingly scrutinizing their actions in these cases, and also disagree on the advice they give him,” the publication says.