Donald Trump’s presidential campaign has been ordered to pay $1.3 million in legal fees to Omarosa Manigault Newman, reported CNBC News. The campaign sued Manigault Newman over contents in her book detailing her time working with Trump. Specifically, they made a fuss about her exposing Trump for being racist (like we ain’t know already). However, the confidentiality agreement she signed while working on Trump’s campaign was ruled to be invalid under New York law.
In 2018, the campaign filed a complaint with the American Arbitration Association alleging Newman violated her NDA in her book, “Unhinged: An Insider’s Account of the Trump White House.” Per CNBC, she detailed her experience as a White House advisor and the moments leading up to her being fired by former chief of staff John Kelly. Manigault Newman also accused Trump of using the N-word as he filmed his reality show, “The Apprentice.”
As expected, the Trump administration said her book was filled with lies.
More on the case from CNBC:
“However, the $1.3 Million pales in comparison to the $3 to $4 million the Trump Campaign paid its own lawyers in order to suppress speech,” Phillips said.
“That’s a lot of donations which went to lawyers in the name of politics. It’s truly shameful. We look forward to receiving a check and will donate a portion of the proceeds to groups who stand up to the suppression of speech.”
The arbitrator found the NDA was “overbroad, indefinite and unreasonable,” per CNN. They also blocked several of the Trump campaign’s objections to Manigault Newman’s initial $3.4 million fee request. Still, lawyer John Phillips said the decision on $1.3 million was the “largest known attorney fee” against a political campaign let alone a president, via CNBC.
Manigault Newman took to Twitter to celebrate the arbitrator’s decision.
“First year law student vs. #45’s entire legal team. (David vs. Goliath)… Now pardon me as I get back to studying for my Contract Law final exam,” she tweeted.