Trump and Clinton during a 2016 election debate. (Credit: Rick Wilking/Reuters)
“President Donald Trump has sued failed Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton and others for falsely accusing him of colluding with Russia during the 2016 presidential election:
“Acting in concert, the Defendants maliciously conspired to weave a false narrative that their Republican opponent, Donald J. Trump, was colluding with a hostile foreign sovereignty,” the former president alleged in a lawsuit filed in federal court in Florida.
Trump, who beat Democratic nominee Clinton in the 2016 presidential election, alleges “racketeering” and a “conspiracy to commit injurious falsehood,” among other claims.
The other RICO defendants include names you will recognize: James Comey, Christopher Steele, Peter Strzok, Lisa Page, and Andrew McCabe.
Trump wants damages awarded to him:
In the lawsuit, Trump is seeking compensatory and punitive damages. Trump said he was “forced to incur expenses in an amount to be determined at trial, but known to be in excess of twenty-four million dollars ($24,000,000) and continuing to accrue, in the form of defense costs, legal fees, and related expenses.”
The counts include:
- RICO
- RICO Conspiracy
- Injurious Falsehood
- Conspiracy to Commit Injurious Falsehood
- Malicious Prosecution
- Conspiracy to Commit Malicious Prosecution
- Computer Fraud and Abuse Act
- Theft of Trade Secrets
- Stored Communications Act
- Agency
- Respondeat Superior/Vicarious Liability
The lawsuit alleges the RICO defendants “conspired with each other” and they “knowingly agreed, conspired and acted in concert for the express purpose of injuring the Plaintiff’s political career and/or impeding his ability to effectively govern through a pattern of racketeering activity.”
(Read more: Legal Insurrection, 3/24/2022) (Archive)
The following day, Trump discusses the lawsuit with Glenn Beck: