Supreme Court Rejects Michael Cohen’s Civil Rights Lawsuit Against Donald Trump

On Monday, the Supreme Court rejected disbarred lawyer Michael Cohen’s final attempt to revive a civil rights lawsuit against his former boss, Donald Trump. Cohen had claimed that Trump and other officials violated his rights by placing him in solitary confinement in retaliation for writing a tell-all book about the former president.

 Cohen, who was serving a three-year prison sentence for charges related to his work for Trump, was initially placed in home confinement due to the Covid-19 pandemic. However, in 2020, he was sent back to prison after refusing to sign an agreement that would have restricted him from speaking to the press or posting on social media. He was placed in solitary confinement for 16 days before a federal judge ordered his release, ruling that officials had acted in retaliation against his free speech rights.

Following his release, Cohen sued Trump and other officials, seeking damages for what he argued was a violation of his Fourth Amendment right to be free from unreasonable search and seizure. Despite his efforts, lower court rulings dismissed his claims, and the Supreme Court’s decision on Monday upheld these rulings, effectively ending Cohen’s legal challenge.

Cohen, who recently expressed concerns about Trump potentially returning to the White House, has warned that if re-elected, Trump would pursue further retribution against his critics unless a strong deterrent is established. However, constitutional claims against individual federal officials have historically been difficult to bring due to a series of Supreme Court rulings limiting such lawsuits.

This decision marks the end of Cohen’s legal efforts in this case, leaving Trump and the officials involved free from further civil rights litigation over the incident.