Trump Asks Supreme Court to Revive Dismissed 2016 Election Lawsuit Against Clinton

President Donald Trump filed a petition with the U.S. Supreme Court on Friday, October 9, 2026, asking the justices to revive a lawsuit he brought against his 2016 Democratic rival Hillary Clinton, former FBI Director James Comey, former British intelligence officer Christopher Steele and the Democratic National Committee, among dozens of other defendants.

The lawsuit accuses the defendants of conspiring to damage Trump's 2016 presidential campaign by tying it to Russia. Trump originally filed the case in federal court in Florida in 2022, between his two terms in office, alleging claims under the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (RICO) as well as several Florida state-law claims, including conspiracy to commit injurious falsehood.

How the case was dismissed

U.S. District Judge Donald Middlebrooks threw out the lawsuit, describing it in his ruling as resembling a 'two-hundred-page political manifesto outlining his grievances' rather than a viable legal complaint. Middlebrooks found that most of the claims were either unsupported by legal authority or foreclosed by existing precedent, and that the suit was intended, in the court's characterization, 'to dishonestly advance a political narrative.'

Middlebrooks also imposed sanctions of nearly $1 million in fees and costs against Trump and his lead attorney, Alina Habba, for bringing what he called a frivolous suit.

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the 11th Circuit largely upheld both the dismissal and the sanctions in 2025. The appeals panel wrote that 'many of Trump's and Habba's legal arguments were indeed frivolous,' according to the ruling cited in multiple news reports.

What Trump's Supreme Court petition argues

In the petition filed with the Supreme Court, Trump's lawyers argue that the lower courts wrongly applied the statute of limitations for civil RICO claims, contending that time spent serving as president should have paused, or 'tolled,' the deadline for filing such claims.

Trump's legal team said the lower courts' rulings are having a 'profound impact on the presidency, and the nation as a whole,' according to reporting on the filing.

What happens next

The Supreme Court has not yet decided whether to take up the case. The justices would first need to grant certiorari — agree to hear the appeal — before any substantive review of the RICO and tolling questions could proceed. No hearing date has been set, and it remains undetermined whether the Court will accept the petition.

No public statement from Hillary Clinton or a spokesperson for her has been reported in connection with this specific Supreme Court filing as of this writing.

Background on the underlying dispute

The lawsuit traces back to allegations, first raised during and after the 2016 campaign, that Trump's opponents sought to link him to Russian interference in the election. Special counsel Robert Mueller's investigation found that Russia interfered in the election but did not establish that Trump's campaign conspired with the Russian government. A separate review led by special counsel John Durham concluded the FBI lacked sufficient evidence to open its original investigation into the campaign.