US SC refuses to open Trump to a lawsuit by his former lawyer Michael Cohen

The United States (US) Supreme Court (SC) refused to open former president and currentRepublican presidential candidate Donald Trump to a lawsuit by his former lawyer and fixer, Michael Cohen.

A report by Bloomberg said that on Monday (Oct 21), the justicesturned away an appeal by Cohen in a case that grew out of his 2018 guilty plea to crimes tied to his work for Trump.

Michael Cohen, 58, was sentenced to three years in prison in 2018after pleading guilty to multiple federal felonies, including campaign finance violations and lying to Congress.

He was released in May 2020 amid the coronavirus (Covid) pandemic but was abruptly put back in prison two months later after questioning an agreement that barred his book's publication, communicating with the media and social media.

I was subjected to retaliation: Michael Cohen

According to the Bloomberg report, Cohen said that he wassubjected to retaliation when he and his lawyer met with probation officers in July 2020.

The 58-year-old sought to win damages from Trump and other officials by pressing a so-called Bivens suit, which alleges a federal officer violated a constitutional right.

The case was tossed out by aNew York-based US appeals court. The appeals court pointed to the Supreme Court rulingsthat in recent years have limited the circumstances in which Bivens suits could go forward.

The Biden administration joined Trump in urging the Supreme Court to reject the appeal without a hearing.

'A dangerous moment in American democracy'

Cohen's lawyer Jon‑Michael Dougherty said the Supreme Court's decision "signals a dangerous moment in American democracy."

"In denying Michael Cohen's petition, the Supreme Court has stated that the courts will not provide any deterrent for an executive intent on incarcerating its critics in retaliation for their speech," Dougherty told the news agency Reuters.

(With inputs from agencies)