Former President Donald Trump has been ordered to pay the New York Times nearly $400,000 in legal fees after his unsuccessful lawsuit against the paper. The lawsuit was filed in 2021 and accused the Times and its reporters of conspiring with his niece, Mary Trump, to obtain and publish his tax records. However, the lawsuit was dismissed in May of this year, with the judge ruling that the Pulitzer Prize-winning 2018 story on Trump's family's tax practices was protected by the First Amendment. The judge also cited a New York law that bars baseless lawsuits designed to silence critics, stating that the decision showed the power of the state's anti-SLAPP statute in protecting press freedom.

The 2018 story by reporters Susanne Craig, David Barstow, and Russell Buettner challenged Trump's claims of self-made wealth by revealing how his father, Fred Trump, had given him at least $413 million over the years, including through tax avoidance schemes. The story also detailed how Trump had dodged taxes by setting up sham corporations and undervaluing assets to tax authorities. The Times' report was based on over 100,000 pages of financial documents, including confidential tax returns.

In his lawsuit, Trump alleged that Mary Trump had breached a prior settlement agreement by giving the tax records to the reporters. However, this claim is still pending, as is Mary Trump's counterclaim against Trump under New York's anti-SLAPP law. Mary Trump's lawyers declined to comment on the recent order for Trump to pay the Times' legal fees.

Judge Robert Reed, who dismissed the lawsuit against the Times and its reporters, stated that the complexity of the case and other factors justified Trump being forced to pay the legal fees. The total amount ordered was $392,638.69. Trump's lawyer, Alina Habba, expressed disappointment that the Times and its reporters were dropped from the lawsuit but stated that they were pleased with the court's decision to deny Mary Trump's request to put the case on hold while she appeals the ruling that allowed Trump's claim against her to proceed.

The New York Times spokesperson, Danielle Rhoades Ha, celebrated the court's decision as a victory for press freedom and a message to those who try to misuse the judicial system to silence journalists. One of the reporters, Susanne Craig, also expressed satisfaction with the outcome, calling the lawsuit frivolous in a tweet.

Overall, the court's ruling highlights the importance of protecting press freedom and the strength of the First Amendment in the face of baseless lawsuits aimed at silencing journalists. It also serves as a reminder of the investigative power of journalism in uncovering important information about public figures.