0
0
US President Donald Trump has been officially served with legal papers at his Scottish properties amid a legal battle with former British intelligence officer Christopher Steele.
Sheriff officers delivered the documents to Trump Turnberry in Ayrshire and the Menie golf course in Aberdeenshire, both owned by Trump’s business empire.
The dispute centers on Steele’s controversial dossier, which alleged that Russia held compromising material on Trump—a claim the President has consistently denied. Previously, Steele won a court battle against Trump, securing over £600,000 in legal costs after Trump’s unsuccessful lawsuit accusing Steele of making “shocking and scandalous” false claims.
These costs, awarded to Steele’s company Orbis Business Intelligence at a High Court hearing in April, remain unpaid and continue to increase daily. By the time Trump arrives in London for his upcoming State visit, the amount will have grown by another £2,000.
The legal papers were served while John Swinney, Scotland’s Deputy First Minister, was in the US to discuss Scotch whisky tariffs with Trump.
An Orbis spokesperson commented, “The British legal system has shown that no one is above the law. We remain concerned that Donald Trump is still in breach of the English High Court and alarmed by the costly waste of this vexatious case for both Orbis and the UK courts.”
Orbis is reportedly seeking a court order to prevent Trump’s Scottish company from paying dividends to shareholders until the debt is settled.
While Trump might argue that presidential immunity protects him, Orbis counters that he was not yet President when the original dispute over Steele’s allegations arose.
Trump’s legal team now has 30 days to respond to the papers served.
