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Trump to sue DOJ for $100m in damages over Mar-a-Lago classified documents raid
Lawyers for Trump have argued that the DOJ's raid was aimed at “affecting an electoral outcome to prevent President Trump from being re-elected.”
Donald Trump is set to sue the United States Department of Justice (DOJ) over the raid of his Mar-a-Lago estate in 2022. The former president’s decision to file the lawsuit comes less than a month after his classified documents case was overturned. The Republican nominee is now seeking $100 million in damages, accusing Attorney General Merrick Garland and FBI Director Christopher Wray of “malicious political prosecution.”
Trump intends to sue DOJ over Mar-a-Lago raid
The execution of a search warrant at Trump's lavish Palm Beach property led to the removal of hundreds of pages of classified documents from when he was president. Lawyers for Trump have argued that the DOJ's raid was aimed at “affecting an electoral outcome to prevent President Trump from being re-elected.”
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In an administrative tort claim filed against the DOJ, Trump's attorney, Daniel Epstein accused Garland and Wray of applying “inconsistent standards,” adding that they were guilty of a “clear dereliction of constitutional principles.”
“Garland and Wray should have never approved a raid and subsequent indictment of President Trump because the well-established protocol with former U.S. presidents is to use non-enforcement means to obtain records of the United States,” Epstein wrote in the memo, according to Fox News.
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Trump has previously accused President Joe Biden, whom the DOJ reports directly, of carrying out a “witch-hunt” against him. However, both the White House and DOJ have denied any claims of the raid being politically motivated.
“But notwithstanding the fact that the raid should have never occurred, Garland and Wray should have ensured their agents sought consent from President Trump, notified his lawyers, and sought cooperation,” Epstein continued, adding, “Garland and Wray decided to stray from established protocol to injure President Trump.”
