Trump initiates USD100M claim against US Justice Department over attack on his house in Florida
Date
8/13/2024 5:59:02 AM
(MENAFN) Donald trump has initiated a USD100 million claim against the U.S. Justice Department, alleging that the FBI raid on his Mar-a-Lago residence in Florida in August 2022 was an act of "political persecution." The claim, filed last week but revealed only recently, accuses Attorney General Merrick Garland and FBI Director Christopher Wray of intentionally seeking to "injure" Trump through their actions. The raid, which was carried out under a search warrant approved by a federal judge, was aimed at recovering classified documents that Trump allegedly retained after leaving office. These documents included records from the Pentagon and CIA, which were reportedly kept unsecured at his home.
Trump faces 31 counts of "willful retention of national defense information" in Florida for refusing to return the classified materials. The case against him was recently dismissed by a federal judge on the grounds that Special Counsel Jack Smith, who brought the charges, was unlawfully appointed. In his claim, Trump argues that Garland and Wray should have adhered to established protocols for handling documents involving former U.S. presidents, which typically involve non-enforcement measures rather than executing a raid and subsequent indictment.
The claim further asserts that Garland and Wray’s actions were motivated by a desire to politically damage Trump, rather than following the established legal procedures. Trump is seeking punitive damages amounting to USD100 million and at least USD15 million in legal fees as part of this claim, which was filed under the Federal Tort Claims Act. The Justice Department has 180 days to respond to the claim, and if a settlement is not reached, the dispute would proceed to federal court.
Trump, who is the Republican nominee for the 2024 presidential election, has a history of filing civil suits and sometimes withdrawing them at the last moment. In addition to this claim, he has been convicted in New York of 34 counts of falsifying business records related to hush money payments made to an adult film actress. Trump also faces separate charges in Washington and Georgia related to his efforts to overturn the results of the 2020 election, which he lost to Democrat Joe Biden.
MENAFN13082024000045015839ID1108548250
Legal Disclaimer:
MENAFN provides the information “as is” without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the provider above.