Former President Donald Trump has been ordered by New York Supreme Court Justice Robert Reed to pay approximately $392,638.69 in legal fees to The New York Times. The directive follows Trump’s unsuccessful lawsuit against the newspaper, in which he alleged a conspiracy to obtain and publish his personal tax records, describing it as an “insidious plot.”
As reported by The Epoch Times on Friday, January 12, 2024, Trump filed a $100 million lawsuit in 2021 against three New York Times journalists and his niece, Mary Trump. The former president claimed that they conspired to acquire and disclose his confidential tax records. In May 2023, Judge Reed dismissed part of the lawsuit, asserting that the journalists and the paper were protected under the First Amendment for engaging in routine newsgathering activities.
Reed emphasized that legal news gathering is “at the very core of protected First Amendment activity.” Despite this setback, a portion of the lawsuit naming Mary Trump remains pending, with the judge denying her request to put the case on hold while she appealed.
Mary Trump, in a book, admitted to leaking the tax records to The New York Times, further complicating the legal proceedings. President Trump’s lawyer, Alina Habba, expressed satisfaction with the court’s decision, emphasizing their readiness to proceed with claims against Mary.
The 2021 lawsuit argued that the reporters were aware of a settlement agreement preventing Mary Trump from disclosing the tax records, which she had obtained in a legal dispute over the estate of Fred Trump, the former president’s father. The complaint alleged that Mary smuggled the records out of her attorney’s office and provided them to reporters. President Trump accused The New York Times of profiting from the confidential records by publishing various articles based on them.
The judge’s decision to side with The New York Times reaffirms the protection afforded by the First Amendment for newsgathering. Despite the legal complexities, the court’s ruling underscores the paramount importance of press freedom and the constitutional safeguards surrounding journalistic activities.
