WASHINGTON: A Federal appeals court in California ordered porn star Stormy Daniels to pay USD 121,000 to the attorneys of Donald Trump in legal fees, hours after the arrest of the former US President in connection with the case relating to hush money payment made to her during the 2016 presidential campaign. This amount is in addition to the USD 500,000 she has to pay to Trump’s attorneys following the court’s earlier order. The court also dismissed the adult film star’s defamation suit against Trump. The ruling was celebrated on social media by Harmeet K Dhillon, Trump's attorney in the case.

Congratulations to President Trump on this final attorney fee victory in his favor this morning. Collectively, our firm obtained over $600,000 in attorney fee awards in his favor in the meritless litigation initiated by Stormy Daniels. https://t.co/ld7SVvZOp6 pic.twitter.com/1b5P3flxFb

— Harmeet K. Dhillon (@pnjaban) April 4, 2023

The decision, considered as a legal victory for Trump came at a time when he became the only ex-president to be charged with a crime. Daniels had sued Trump in 2018 over a defamatory tweet by Trump wherein he called an allegation by Daniels that an unknown man in the parking lot threatened her to keep quiet about her alleged affair with Trump a 'total con job’.