Trump’s lawsuit claims Hillary Clinton and her allies spread a false Russia story to wreck his campaign and presidency, and he now wants the Supreme Court to give that case a second life.
Story Highlights
- Trump’s 2022 suit accuses Clinton, the DNC, James Comey, Christopher Steele and others of a plot to tie him falsely to Russia.
- Two lower courts tossed the suit, saying it came too late, and left him owing a penalty of nearly $938,000.
- Trump’s petition argues the job of president should stretch the time limit to sue.
- The justices have not decided whether to take the case.
What Trump Says Clinton And Her Allies Did
Trump’s suit says Clinton and people close to her worked together to push a “false narrative” that he and his 2016 campaign colluded with Russia. It accuses them of racketeering, a law aimed at groups that commit a string of crimes as part of one plan. It also claims “conspiracy to commit injurious falsehood,” which means working together to spread lies that cause someone real harm. The courts threw the case out mainly over timing, ruling that Trump waited too long to file, so Trump asked the justices to revive it on Friday, Oct. 9.
President Trump Files Petition with Supreme Court to Revive RICO Lawsuit Against Crooked Hillary Clinton, James Comey, and Russia Hoax Cabal After Nearly $1 Million in “Frivolous” Sanctions https://t.co/KxxrdvYA3D #gatewaypundit via @gatewaypundit
— EXPOS'E IN THE USA (@BonnellCan54763) October 12, 2026
The defendants include Clinton; the Democratic National Committee; James Comey, who ran the FBI during the 2016 race; and Christopher Steele, a former British intelligence officer whose dossier, a private report, made claims about Trump and Russia. Trump filed the case in federal court in Florida in March 2022.
Where The Russia Story Stands
Trump has long called the collusion story a hoax. Special counsel Robert Mueller’s 2019 report found Russia meddled in the 2016 election but did not establish that the Trump campaign conspired with the Russian government. In 2023, special counsel John Durham reported that the FBI had no “actual evidence” when it began investigating the campaign and leaned too heavily on tips from Trump’s political rivals.
How The Case Was Shut Down
U.S. District Judge Donald Middlebrooks of Florida dismissed the suit. He ruled that Trump sued too late and that many of the statements at issue were “plainly protected by the First Amendment.” He went further, calling the case an effort “to dishonestly advance a political narrative.” He ordered Trump, his lead lawyer Alina Habba and her law firm to pay nearly $938,000. That money covers the legal fees and costs of the people Trump sued. A penalty like this is called a sanction, and judges use it to punish lawsuits they find baseless.
Trump appealed to the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, based in Atlanta. The appeals court sided with the trial judge in 2025, keeping both the dismissal and the penalty. The full court then refused to rehear the case.
Trump’s Argument To The Justices
The petition, a written request for the high court to hear an appeal, raises two points. The first is whether a president’s unique role and duties should extend the deadline to bring claims. The second is whether judges may penalize a president and his lawyers for raising what the petition calls a “substantial, unresolved argument” about that deadline.
Richard Klugh, the attorney who filed the petition for Trump, wrote that the lower court ruling “wrongly forces Presidents to choose between their public responsibilities and private claims.” He says it also clashes with past Supreme Court rulings. Lawyers for Trump and Habba told the Court the decisions have a “profound impact on the presidency, and the nation as a whole.”
The Road Ahead
The Court has not acted. Once the case is put on the Court’s official list, Clinton has 30 days to answer, and she may ask for more time. Until the justices rule on the request, the dismissal and the nearly $938,000 penalty remain in force.
Sources:
wsau.com, theepochtimes.com, supremecourt.gov, cnn.com, clearinghouse.net, ibtimes.co.uk, yahoo.com, washingtonexaminer.com, thehill.com
