16 October 2023 , 15:58
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Donald Trump is seeking "a vindication" over denied allegations he took part in "perverted" sex acts and made bribes to Russian officials, the High Court has been told.
The former US president, 77, is bringing a data protection claim against Orbis Business Intelligence - a consultancy founded by former MI6 officer Christopher Steele - and is seeking compensation for distress.
The former spook, who previously ran the Secret Intelligence Service's Russia bureau, was the author of the so-called ‘Steele dossier’ which included allegations Trump had been "compromised" by the Russian security service, the FSB, during visits when he was a real estate tycoon.
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At the start of a two-day hearing on Monday, the High Court was told Trump is bringing his case over two memos in the dossier which claimed the former president had taken part in "sex parties" while in St Petersburg. It also stated he engaged in "golden showers" with prostitutes in Moscow.
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Hugh Tomlinson KC, for Trump, described the allegations as "egregiously inaccurate" and said the property tycoon wants to give evidence in the London court to prove they are false.
The barrister said the "now notorious Steele dossier... contained shocking and scandalous claims about the personal conduct of President Trump" and included allegations he paid bribes to Russian officials to further his business interests.
In written submissions, Tomlinson said Orbis is accused of unlawfully processing Trump's personal data, causing him "serious distress and reputational damage." He told the court: "President Trump begins this case because he seeks a vindication of his legal rights... that the statements in these memoranda are false."
The court heard Trump accepts Orbis is not responsible for the publication of the dossier - as it was leaked to and published by BuzzFeed - but claims his data was processed by the consultancy.
Christopher Steele, the former MI6 agent who set-up Orbis Business Intelligence and compiled a dossier on Trump (PA)Mr Tomlinson later described Trump as a "controversial figure", adding: "He often expresses himself in very strong language... his interactions with the US legal system have been many and varies. "None of this is relevant to the question of whether the personal data in question is accurate."
But lawyers for Orbis asked for Trump's claim to be thrown out, telling the court it was "brought for the purpose of harassing Orbis and Mr Steele and pursuing longstanding grievances." Antony White KC, for the consultancy, said in written submissions the case "has no realistic prospect of success" and has been brought too late.
He said: "The claim for compensation is principally based on reputational damage allegedly suffered by the claimant. This claim is bound to fail on limitation grounds and because any reputational damage, and any resulting distress, allegedly suffered will have been caused by the BuzzFeed publication, for which the claimant accepts Orbis is not liable."
Mr White said the dossier was never intended to be made public, and all copies of the memos held by Orbis were destroyed in 2017. The barrister later said Trump's case had been brought to pursue a "vendetta" against Orbis and Mr Steel.
He continued: "The claimant has a deep and intense animus against Mr Steele and Orbis, which is reflected in numerous vituperative public statements which he has made since the dossier was made public by BuzzFeed in 2017."
Mr White said Trump "has a long history of repeatedly bringing frivolous, meritless and vexatious claims for the purpose of vexing and harassing perceived enemies and others against whom he bears a grudge." The hearing before Mrs Justice Steyn is set to conclude today (Tues), with a decision expected at a later date.
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