Supreme Court turns away Carter Page defamation suit against DNC

The Supreme Court on Monday declined to review a defamation lawsuit brought by former Trump campaign official Carter Page against the Democratic National Committee (DNC) and others linked to the controversial Steele dossier. 

The court’s order was issued without comment or noted dissent, in keeping with common practice. 

Page had appealed to the Supreme Court after his lawsuit was dismissed in the lower courts on procedural grounds.

The former 2016 Trump campaign foreign policy adviser filed suit in January 2020 against the DNC and law firm Perkins Coie in relation to a dossier compiled by former British intelligence agent Christopher Steele. 

The creation of the dossier was set in motion by Perkins Coie through the research firm Fusion GPS. The document, which included unverified claims about former President Trump and his associates’ links to Russia, played a role in the U.S. obtaining a warrant to surveil Page.

In December 2019, the Justice Department’s inspector general released a report detailing multiple inaccuracies and omissions in the surveillance warrant applications targeting Page that were submitted to the court associated with the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act.

Page alleged in his legal complaint that the dossier “mobilized the news media against Dr. Page, damaging his reputation, and effectively destroying his once-private life.” 

This story was updated at 10:30 a.m.