Trump FORCED to PAY as DESPERATE APPEAL is TOSSED

Brian Kabateck and Shant Karnikian break down the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals' unanimous decision upholding $938,000 in sanctions against Trump and Alina Habba for their 2022 RICO lawsuit against Hillary Clinton, James Comey, the DNC, and 25 others over the "Russia Russia Russia hoax." The three-judge panel (Chief Judge William Pryor appointed by Bush, Judge Andrew Brasher appointed by Trump, Judge Embry Kidd appointed by Biden) affirmed District Judge Donald Middlebrooks' finding that the lawsuit was filed in bad faith to harass political adversaries and reflected Trump's pattern of misusing courts. Judge Middlebrooks called the complaint a "two-hundred-page political manifesto" that "should never have been brought" and deemed the arguments frivolous under Federal Rule 11. Brian explains the rarity of courts sanctioning both client and attorney jointly and severally—meaning Trump and Habba each owe the full amount, and defendants can collect from either one. The hosts note Trump sued Clinton for calling him Putin's "puppet" (truth is an absolute defense), claimed damages including lost business and emotional distress despite winning the 2016 election and becoming wealthier, and the case also failed on statute of limitations grounds though the court addressed it on merits. Brian predicts this ruling will impact Trump's plans for criminal prosecutions against Obama, Clinton, and others in Florida. The ruling came the same week the 11th Circuit dismissed Trump's CNN defamation lawsuit.

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