Former President Donald Trump won a small victory at a New York appeals court on Thursday as he awaits sentencing in his Manhattan criminal trial.
An appeals court has allowed President Trump to sue his niece, Mary Trump, for providing information to The New York Times for a 2018 story about the former president’s taxes.
Mary Trump’s lawyers had argued that her lawsuit was not justified under New York law, which bars frivolous lawsuits aimed at silencing opponents, and that she could not allege that Trump was harmed by the publication of accurate information.
In a June 2023 ruling, New York Judge Robert Reed ruled against Mary, but she appealed the ruling. A five-judge panel upheld a previous ruling on Thursday, saying Trump has the right to sue his niece for violating a non-disclosure agreement made in a 2001 settlement over the estate of the former president’s father, Fred Trump.
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Former President Trump won a small victory at a New York appeals court on Thursday as he awaits sentencing in his Manhattan criminal trial. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig, Poole)
The court’s decision does not affect whether Trump’s lawsuit will succeed. His original lawsuit sought $100 million in damages from his niece. The court said Trump may still be able to secure the money.
“At the very least, nominal damages may be awarded for breach of contract claims even in the absence of actual damages,” the court wrote.
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A Pulitzer Prize-winning 2018 Times article shed light on the former president’s finances, specifically revealing that he had received significant funding from his father.
Mary Trump revealed in her memoir that she was one of the sources of the story, but Trump derided the book as “silly” and “spiteful.”
Former President Donald Trump waves as he leaves Trump Tower on his way to Manhattan Criminal Court, Tuesday, May 21, 2024, in New York City. (AP Photo/Julia Nickinson)
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Trump’s victory came as a jury was still reaching a verdict in his New York criminal trial, where he faces 34 charges of falsifying business records. The trial has been going on for five weeks, and it is unclear how long the jury will take to reach a verdict.
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A New York appeals court has ruled that President Trump may be able to secure funds from his niece. (Justin Lane/Pool/AFP via Getty Images)
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Once the New York trial is over, Trump will face three further indictments: election-related charges in Washington DC and Georgia, and a classified documents charge in Florida.
