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A federal judge has ordered former President Donald Trump to pay nearly $400,000 in legal fees to the New York Times and three reporters over a failed lawsuit he filed against the publication.
Trump filed a lawsuit against the Times over a series of Pulitzer Prize-winning articles in 2018 related to his finances and tax records. Some of the stories were sourced from confidential tax returns obtained by the reporters.
New York Supreme Court Justice Robert Reed dismissed the $100 million lawsuit last year.
"Courts have long recognized that reporters are entitled to engage in legal and ordinary news-gathering activities without fear of tort liability -- as these actions are at the very core of protected first amendment activity," Reed wrote.
The Times requested that Trump pay $229,921 to the newspaper and $162,717 to the reporters to cover the cost of their legal fees. Trump objected to the amount, arguing he should not have to pay anything, claiming the amount included "unjustified or duplicative work and exorbitant hourly rates."
Reed rejected Trump's appeal and ordered him to pay the total amount.
"Considering the complexity of the issues presented in this action, the number of causes of action, the experience, ability, and reputation of defendants' attorneys, the considerable amount in dispute, and the attorneys' success in dismissing the complaint against their defendants … the court finds that $392,638.69 is a reasonable value for the legal services rendered," Reed said.