Donald Trump was served with legal papers at two of his Scottish golf properties on Tuesday as part of a continuing dispute with former British intelligence officer Christopher Steele, the operator of Orbis Business Intelligence said.
Sheriff officers were sent to Trump Turnberry in Ayrshire and to Trump International Golf Links at Menie in Aberdeenshire, the company said, in an effort to enforce a High Court order that awarded Orbis more than £600,000 in costs after Mr Steele successfully resisted Mr Trump’s defamation claim in England.
The costs were awarded at a High Court hearing in April and, Orbis said, have not been paid; the company said the figure is rising daily. Orbis indicated it was seeking an "arrestment" order from Scottish courts to prevent the Trump Organisation’s Scottish companies from distributing funds to shareholders while the debt remains outstanding.
Orbis said the papers were served while Scotland’s deputy first minister, John Swinney, was in the United States for talks that included Scotch whisky tariffs. An Orbis spokesman said the move demonstrated "that, in this country at least, no-one is above the law," and expressed concern that Mr Trump remained in breach of the English High Court.
Legal advisers to Mr Trump will have one month to respond to the documents served in Scotland, Orbis said. The company also told media that it would argue any claim of presidential immunity is inapplicable because the events at the centre of the dispute predate Mr Trump’s time in office.
A spokesman for Mr Trump’s Scottish hotels and golf courses said the matter was separate from the operations at Trump Turnberry and Aberdeen and was being handled by U.S. counsel. The Trump Organisation in the United States was contacted for comment but did not immediately respond.
The legal dispute stems from allegations contained in a dossier compiled by Mr Steele during the 2016 U.S. presidential campaign that included unverified claims about ties between Mr Trump and Russia. Mr Trump sued over publication of the dossier and argued the claims had caused "personal and reputational damage and distress," according to court filings. Orbis successfully had the lawsuit struck out after arguing the dossier was not intended for public release and that media publication occurred without Orbis’s permission.
Mr Steele was awarded costs after the suit was dismissed, and Orbis has said its legal bills and court costs exceed the amount ordered. The company’s pursuit of enforcement in Scotland comes ahead of Mr Trump’s planned state visit to Britain, during which he is due to be hosted by King Charles and Queen Camilla at Windsor Castle from Sept. 17 to 19, including a state banquet.
The dossier and its handling became a flashpoint in U.S. and U.K. political coverage and in subsequent investigations into Russian interference in the 2016 election, including probes overseen by the U.S. Department of Justice and special counsel Robert Mueller. At a July visit to Britain, Mr Trump publicly referenced Mr Steele and the dossier.
A source quoted by the Scottish Mail on Sunday said Mr Trump had not complied with the High Court order and warned that the president could face further legal challenge once on British soil. Legal experts say enforcement of English court judgments in Scotland follows established cross-border procedures but can raise complex questions about attachments to corporate assets and the rights of foreign officials.
Orbis said it was "alarmed by the outrageous costs of this vexatious case in wasted time and money, both for Orbis Business Intelligence and the UK courts," and reiterated its intention to pursue the order through Scottish channels. The Scottish-serving of papers does not itself amount to enforcement; it is a step in a process that could lead to court hearings in Scotland if the debt is not satisfied or successfully challenged.
Mr Trump is due to arrive in London ahead of his state visit later this month. His legal team will now consider the papers delivered in Scotland and determine how to respond within the deadline set by local procedures.