Daniels ordered to pay nearly USD 300,000 in legal fees to Trump's attorney in defamation suit

A federal judge in California has ordered adult film star Stormy Daniels to pay nearly USD 300,000 in attorney's fees, costs and sanctions to the lawyers representing Donald Trump in a defamation suit she brought against the US President earlier this year, according to a media report.

Trump's attorney, Charles Harder, had asked for a total of nearly USD 780,000 from Daniels -- USD 389,000 in attorney fees and another USD 389,000 in sanctions in a hearing last week, the CNN reported.

Harder termed the order to pay USD 293,052.33 a "total victory" for Trump.

"The court's order, along with the court's prior order dismissing Stormy Daniels' defamation case against the president, together constitute a total victory for the president, and a total defeat for Stormy Daniels in this case," the report quoted Harder as saying.

The defamation was brought earlier this year after Trump called an allegation by Daniels that an unknown man threatened her in a parking lot to keep quiet about her alleged affair with Trump a "total con job" in a tweet.

The law suit is separate from the original lawsuit about the nondisclosure agreement Daniels signed with former Trump attorney Michael Cohen that's now at the center of a federal criminal case against Cohen, the report said.

Daniels slammed that she had an affair with Trump in 2006, an allegation denied by the US President.

Daniel's attorney Michael Avenatti acknowledged that Tuesday's ruling was a partial win for Trump.

"Trump asked for USD 800,000 in attorney's fees, costs and sanctions from the minor defamation case, The cost court awarded well less than 1/2, recognising that the request was gross & excessive," Avenatti said in a tweet that has since been deleted, according to the report.