Republican presidential candidate former President Donald Trump speaks during a press conference at his Mar-a-Lago estate on August 08, 2024, in Palm Beach, Florida. Polls currently show a close race between Trump and Democratic presidential candidate, U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris.
Joe Raedle/Getty Images
Republican Presidential nominee, Donald Trump has announced plans to file a $100 million lawsuit against the Department of Justice (DOJ) and the FBI, alleging "malicious political prosecution" and "abuse of process."
According to CNBC, the legal notice, filed by Trump's attorney Daniel Z. Epstein, claims that the FBI's search of Trump's Mar-a-Lago estate in August 2022 was politically motivated and aimed at preventing him from being re-elected.
Trump is seeking $15 million in actual damages and an additional $100 million in punitive damages.
To be specific, the lawsuit accuses DOJ leadership and Special Counsel Jack Smith of orchestrating a politically driven investigation, which led to Trump's indictment over sensitive classified documents found at his Florida estate. Trump's legal team argues that the search violated established protocols for handling records related to former presidents.
Despite numerous requests from the National Archives and a subpoena issued in May 2022, the DOJ executed a search warrant after receiving information that they had been misled about the return of all classified materials.
Trump's attorney also cited that the former president was forced to spend tens of millions of dollars defending his reputation against what they describe as an "unconstitutional process."
The lawsuit follows US District Judge Aileen Cannon's recent dismissal of the criminal case against Trump, CBS reported that the issues cited were Smith's appointment and the legality of the probe's funding. However, other federal judges have rejected similar arguments in the past, and Smith is currently appealing Cannon's decision.
DOJ has declined to comment on the filing. Trump's spokesperson, Steven Cheung, framed the lawsuit as part of Trump's ongoing battle against what he calls a "weaponized" DOJ.
The notice filed by Trump is a preliminary step in the civil damages process, allowing him to proceed with the lawsuit if no resolution is reached within six months. The outcome of the case could also be impacted if Trump wins the presidential election in November, potentially giving him influence over the DOJ's response.
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