Republican presidential candidate and former U.S. President Donald Trump takes the stage during a rally at Brick Breeden Arena at Montana State University on August 9, 2024 in Bozeman, Montana Give a speech.
Michael Sciaglo | Getty Images News | Getty Images
former president’s lawyer Donald Trump has filed a legal notice announcing that its client plans to sue the Justice Department and FBI for $115 million over alleged “malicious political prosecution” and “abuse of process.”
The notice, obtained by NBC News on Monday, baselessly accuses Justice Department leadership and special counsel Jack Smith of conducting “a malicious political prosecution designed to influence the outcome of the election to prevent President Trump from being re-elected” — a common Accused Trump of making it online and during the campaign.
“This malicious prosecution has resulted in President Trump spending tens of millions of dollars defending this case and his Reputation. Epstein is Trump’s former White House lawyer and current vice president of U.S. President Trump. America’s First Lawa legal group founded by former Trump adviser Stephen Miller.
Documents complain, F.B.I. court-approved Search for confidential documents The conduct at Trump’s Florida estate in August 2022 was inappropriate, as were Trump’s subsequent conduct indictment A large number of sensitive classified documents discovered by agents during the search. Trump has pleaded not guilty.
The document was first reported as fox newsIt said the search violated “established protocols” involving the former president and cited Trump’s social media posts after the search, saying the government could obtain the records “at any time.”
“All they have to do is ask,” the Truth Society posted. The document makes no mention of the National Archives and the Justice Department’s repeated requests for Trump to return the records. The U.S. Department of Justice also issued a subpoena in May 2022, requesting the return of such documents, and a Trump lawyer signed a statement saying that the documents had all been returned in June. After receiving the information, investigators executed a search warrant misleading.
The notice of claim insists the Justice Department’s “procedures” are “unconstitutional.”
it says Smith “filed a lawless criminal indictment” stemming from last July’s raid, noting that the case has been fired by U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon last month. Cannon, Trump’s nominee to the bench, dismissed the case on the grounds that Smith’s appointment as special counsel and the funding for his investigation were illegal.
Other federal judges have rejected similar arguments involving former special adviser. Smith is attractive Ganon’s decision.
The Justice Department declined to comment.
Trump campaign spokesman Steven Cheung said the action was part of Trump’s fight against a “weaponized Department of Justice” and that the criminal case against Trump “should be dismissed immediately to allow our country to recover.” Unity”.
The notice filed by Trump is a necessary step in filing most civil damage claims against the government. There is no specific time limit for a reply, but if the claimant does not receive a “final disposition” within six months of issuing the claim, the claimant can treat this silence as a denial and file a lawsuit. The filing indicates the lawsuit will be filed in the same district of Florida where Cannon is based.
The document was signed on August 7, the day before the second anniversary of the search. The claim form states “Failure to fully execute this form or provide requested materials within two years from the date of your claim may invalidate your claim.”
Trump is seeking “$15 million in actual damages for legal expenses incurred in defending the special counsel proceedings in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida,” the filing said. It’s unclear how much of the money came from Trump personally. NBC News previously reported that Trump appeared to Use political action committee funds for his attorney fees.
He also seeks $100 million in punitive damages.
Author E. Jean Carroll’s $83M appeal pending defamation judgment Trump’s lawyers argued the verdict should be reduced, in part because punitive damages were about four times the amount of compensatory damages. He is seeking more than six times the damages in this case.
It’s unclear what will happen to that action if Trump is re-elected president in November, or whether he will be able to direct the Justice Department to pay the fees he seeks.