Donald Trump’s presidential campaign must pay nearly $1.3m in legal fees to former “Apprentice” star and Trump administration official Omarosa Manigault Newman, The New York Times reported.
A court arbitrator ordered the sum on Tuesday after the former president’s campaign sued Ms Newman for her book, “Unhinged,” which the campaign said violated a non-disclosure agreement. Mr Trump had lost the case in September of last year, but both sides have disputed the size of the settlement.
The Trump campaign argued that Ms Manigault Newman, who was on the first season of The Apprentice and who worked in the administration, made bad faith arguments and should not receive legal fees. But the arbitrator said she had to pay a large sum of legal fees because of the suit.
“Respondent was defending herself in a claim which was extensively litigated for more than three years, against an opponent who undoubtedly commanded far greater resources than did respondent,” the arbitrator said.
Ms Manigault Newman’s attorney John Phillips said the result “hopefully will send a message that weaponized litigation will not be tolerated and empower other lawyers to stand up and fight”.
Ms Manigault Newman was a faithful acolyte of Mr Trump’s for years until she left the White House.
The settlement marks the second Trump campaign nondisclosure agreement that was invalidated in recent months. In March, the campaign was ordered to pay a former campaign aide who said Mr Trump forcibly kissed her. The judge had called the agreement “vague and unenforceable”.
