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| Judge orders Stormy Daniels to reimburse Trump's legal fees | Judge orders Stormy Daniels to reimburse Trump's legal fees |
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| A US judge has ordered porn actress Stormy Daniels to reimburse President Donald Trump's legal fees after her defamation case was dismissed. | A US judge has ordered porn actress Stormy Daniels to reimburse President Donald Trump's legal fees after her defamation case was dismissed. |
| Ms Daniels, who says she had sex with Mr Trump in 2006, sued him after he mocked her claim that a stranger had threatened her to keep quiet. | Ms Daniels, who says she had sex with Mr Trump in 2006, sued him after he mocked her claim that a stranger had threatened her to keep quiet. |
| On Tuesday, a judge ordered her to pay over $293,052.33 (£232,000) - roughly 75% of Mr Trump's legal fees. | On Tuesday, a judge ordered her to pay over $293,052.33 (£232,000) - roughly 75% of Mr Trump's legal fees. |
| A lawyer for Mr Trump celebrated the ruling as a "total victory". | A lawyer for Mr Trump celebrated the ruling as a "total victory". |
| Mr Trump's lawyer Charles Harder had earlier requested that Ms Daniels be forced to pay almost $800,000 after the lawsuit was dismissed in October. | Mr Trump's lawyer Charles Harder had earlier requested that Ms Daniels be forced to pay almost $800,000 after the lawsuit was dismissed in October. |
| He said on Tuesday that the sum includes a $1,000 penalty for having filed a "meritless" case. | He said on Tuesday that the sum includes a $1,000 penalty for having filed a "meritless" case. |
| Los Angeles Judge S James Otero, in his ruling, declined to impose the "significant additional sanctions" requested by the US president's legal team on Ms Daniels. | Los Angeles Judge S James Otero, in his ruling, declined to impose the "significant additional sanctions" requested by the US president's legal team on Ms Daniels. |
| "The court's order, along with the court's prior order dismissing Stormy Daniels' defamation case against the President, together constitute a total victory for the President, and a total defeat for Stormy Daniels in this case," Mr Harder said on Tuesday. | "The court's order, along with the court's prior order dismissing Stormy Daniels' defamation case against the President, together constitute a total victory for the President, and a total defeat for Stormy Daniels in this case," Mr Harder said on Tuesday. |
| Ms Daniels' lawyer, Michael Avenatti, said in a tweet that the ruling "will never hold up on appeal". | Ms Daniels' lawyer, Michael Avenatti, said in a tweet that the ruling "will never hold up on appeal". |
| What was the case about? | |
| Ms Daniels, real name Stephanie Clifford, said last April that she had been threatened by a man in a car park to keep quiet about the alleged affair. | |
| She shared a sketch of the man who she claimed had threatened her and her child. | |
| Mr Trump retweeted the image, calling it a "total con job", and describing the image as being of a "non-existent man". | |
| Her suit claimed that the president's tweet was defamatory as it accused Ms Daniels of "committing a serious crime" - namely, falsely accusing a person of threatening her. | |
| But in October, the judge ruled that Mr Trump's tweet was protected under the First Amendment, which guarantees the right to freedom of speech. | |
| After that initial court victory, Mr Trump promptly took to Twitter, saying his legal team could now "go after Horseface and her 3rd rate lawyer". | |
| Who is else is involved? | |
| Mr Trump's longtime personal attorney, Michael Cohen, will be sentenced in New York on Wednesday for allegedly paying Ms Daniels $130,000 to keep the alleged liaison private. | |
| According to prosecutors, Mr Cohen was directed to make the payment to Ms Daniels - and to another woman - by Mr Trump. | |
| Mr Trump has acknowledged that the payment was made, describing it only this week as "a simple private transaction", but has denied having a sexual relationship with her. | |
| Investigators are now probing whether the payment, which was not reported to election officials, was a violation of campaign finance laws. | |
| Memo reveals Cohen's help on Russia probe |