Trump Takes Hillary Clinton Lawsuit Over 2016 Election To US Supreme Court

US President Donald Trump on Friday asked the Supreme Court to revive his dismissed lawsuit against former Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton, former FBI Director James Comey and others, accusing them of conspiring to link his 2016 campaign to Russia and undermine his election bid.

Trump filed the appeal after a federal judge dismissed the lawsuit and ordered him and one of his lawyers to pay nearly $1 million in sanctions for bringing what the court described as a “frivolous” case. A federal appeals court subsequently upheld both the dismissal and the sanctions.

Trump filed the lawsuit in 2022, after leaving office following his defeat in the 2020 presidential election. The complaint, lodged in federal court in Florida, named Clinton, Comey, former British intelligence officer Christopher Steele, the Democratic National Committee and several other individuals and organisations.

The lawsuit alleged that Clinton and her allies had orchestrated a campaign to discredit Trump before the 2016 election by promoting what he described as a false narrative that his campaign had colluded with Russia. The complaint included allegations of racketeering and conspiracy to commit injurious falsehood, among other claims.

Trump defeated Clinton in the 2016 presidential election despite losing the national popular vote. He served his first term as president from 2017 to 2021 before returning to the White House after defeating Democratic candidate Kamala Harris in the 2024 election.

Judge Called Trump’s Lawsuit A ‘Political Manifesto’

US District Judge Donald Middlebrooks dismissed Trump’s lawsuit, citing multiple legal deficiencies, including the delay in bringing some of the claims.

The judge compared the complaint to a “two-hundred-page political manifesto outlining his grievances against those that have opposed him.”

Middlebrooks subsequently ordered Trump and his lead attorney in the case, Alina Habba, to pay nearly $1 million in legal fees and costs. The sanctions were imposed because the judge found that the lawsuit was intended “to dishonestly advance a political narrative.”

The judge also criticised what he described as a “continuing pattern of misuse of the courts”, finding that the complaint relied on abusive litigation tactics, knowingly false factual allegations and frivolous legal arguments.

In 2025, the Atlanta-based 11th US Circuit Court of Appeals upheld the dismissal and sanctions.

“Many of Trump’s and Habba’s legal arguments were indeed frivolous,” the appeals court stated.

Lawyers representing Trump and Habba have argued in court filings that the lower courts’ decisions have had a “profound impact on the presidency, and the nation as a whole.”

Mueller Report Found Russian Interference In 2016 Election

The lawsuit centres on allegations surrounding Russian interference in the 2016 US presidential election and claims about contacts between Trump’s campaign and Russian operatives.

In 2019, former FBI Director Robert Mueller, who was appointed special counsel by the Justice Department, released a report detailing Russia’s efforts to influence the election.

The report stated that Russia “interfered in the 2016 presidential election in sweeping and systematic fashion.” However, it also concluded that the investigation did not establish that members of the Trump campaign conspired or coordinated with the Russian government in its election interference activities.

Mueller’s report documented numerous links between Russian operatives and individuals associated with Trump’s campaign. It also stated that the campaign expected to benefit from Russia’s efforts to influence the election in Trump’s favour.

Trump has repeatedly dismissed allegations of Russian interference as a “hoax”.

Durham Investigation Criticised FBI’s Handling Of Probe

In 2019, Trump’s then-Attorney General William Barr appointed another special counsel, John Durham, to investigate potential misconduct by the FBI during its inquiry into links between Trump’s 2016 campaign and Russia.

In a report released in 2023, Durham concluded that the FBI lacked “actual evidence” to investigate the campaign and relied excessively on information provided by Trump’s political opponents.

The findings became a central part of Trump’s argument that the investigation into his campaign was politically motivated.

Comey Indictment Was Later Dismissed

The legal dispute comes amid Trump’s broader efforts to pursue cases against political opponents and individuals involved in investigations concerning him.

In 2025, the Justice Department indicted Comey, accusing the former FBI director of making false statements and obstructing Congress in connection with allegations involving the authorisation of leaks to the news media.

A federal judge subsequently dismissed the indictment, ruling that the prosecutor selected by Trump to pursue the case had been unlawfully appointed.

Meanwhile, Steele, who worked for an opposition research firm hired by a law firm on behalf of Clinton’s campaign and the Democratic National Committee, compiled a dossier containing allegations of links between Trump’s campaign and Russia, along with other claims that Trump denied.

Trump’s appeal asks the Supreme Court to intervene after the lower courts rejected his lawsuit. The dispute centres on his allegations of a coordinated effort to damage his 2016 presidential campaign and the judicial findings that his case was legally deficient.