Supreme Court on Friday (October 9, 2026) to revive his dismissed lawsuit against his 2016 Democratic rival Hillary Clinton accusing her of conspiring along with former FBI Director James Comey and others to rig that year’s election by linking his campaign to Russia. President Donald Trump asked the U.S.
The Republican President filed his appeal after a federal judge threw out the case and imposed nearly $1 million in sanctions against Mr. In 2022, when he was out of office after losing the 2020 election, Mr. Trump, who has a history of suing adversaries, alleged that in the lead-up to the 2016 election, Ms. Clinton in that election, despite losing the national popular vote, and served his first term in office from 2017 to 2021. U.S. government officials have accused Russia of meddling in the 2016 election, and an investigation led by former FBI chief Robert Mueller documented extensive contacts between members of the Trump campaign and Russian operatives who sought to influence the election in his favor.
A U.S. appeals court subsequently upheld the dismissal and sanctions. Mr. Trump’s lawyers wrote in the appeal that Supreme Court review of the case is needed in order to protect the Presidency. They wrote that the decisions by the lower courts reflect “a deeply troubling trend of federal courts using sanctions and disciplinary threats to punish the President and his lawyers for legitimate legal positions that those courts (erroneously) reject. Trump sued Ms. Clinton, Mr. Comey, former British intelligence officer Christopher Steele, the Democratic National Committee and numerous others in a lengthy complaint filed in federal court in Florida. Mr. Mr. Trump defeated Ms. Mr. Mr. Steele, working for an opposition research firm that was hired by a law firm on behalf of the Clinton campaign and the Democratic National Committee, produced a dossier that alleged ties between Mr. Trump’s campaign and Russia as well as other salacious accusations, all of which Mr. Trump denied.
Trump and one of his lawyers for bringing a “frivolous” suit. Clinton conspired with allies to discredit him with a “false narrative” that he and his campaign colluded with Russia. The lengthy suit alleged “racketeering” and a “conspiracy to commit injurious falsehood”, among other claims. Trump has called the idea of Russian interference a “hoax”.
