Former President Donald Trump's legal team is preparing a $100 million lawsuit against the Department of Justice alleging the August 8, 2022, FBI raid on Mar-a-Lago (see BREAKING: Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago Home Raided by FBI; DOJ Declines to Comment) was done with "clear intent to engage in political persecution."
The raid was based on allegations that Trump had improperly stored documents at Mar-a-Lago and ultimately provided the subterfuge to appoint an apparently illicit "special prosecutor" who proceeded to indict Trump on 37 felony counts; see Following Dismissal of Classified Documents Case Against Trump, Jack Smith Will Appeal.
Trump attorney Daniel Epstein filed the notice to sue the Justice Department. The Justice Department has 180 days from the date of receipt to respond to Epstein's notice and come to a resolution. If no resolution is made, Trump's case will move to federal court in the Southern District of Florida.
"What President Trump is doing here is not just standing up for himself – he is standing up for all Americans who believe in the rule of law and believe that you should hold the government accountable when it wrongs you," Trump attorney Daniel Epstein told Fox Business' Lydia Hu.
RELATED:
Trump Family Reacts, Provides More Info on Raid at Mar-a-Lago – RedState
Details of What FBI Seized at Mar-a-Lago Make FBI Raid Look Downright Scandalous – RedState
New Report Shows What the FBI Is Looking For at Mar-a-Lago – RedState
Russian Media Claims That They Have Read the Nuclear Secrets Stored at Mar-a-Lago – RedState
The lawsuit covers several areas. Specifically, the lawsuit claims
- The rationale for raiding Mar-a-Lago is at odds with Department of Justice policy and "inconsistent with protocols requiring the consent of an investigative target, disclosure to that individual’s attorneys, and the use of the local U.S. Attorney’s Office."
- The raid and indictment violated "the well-established protocol with former U.S. presidents is to use non-enforcement means to obtain records of the United States."
- The FBI's conduct " was inconsistent with protocols used in routine searches of an investigative target’s premises." Ordinarily, they shouldn't give shoot-to-kill instructions for premises already protected by the Secret Service and search Melania's underwear drawer for documents.
- Finally, the Department of Justice "brought a lawless criminal indictment."
In an interview on Fox Business, Trump's attorney said:
You have clear evidence that the FBI failed to follow protocols, and the failure to follow protocols shows that there was an improper purpose. If the government is able to say, well, we don't like someone, we can raid their home, we can violate their privacy, we can breach protocols when we decide to prosecute them, we can use the process to advance our personal motive--not a motive of justice--if someone doesn't stand against that in a very public way and seek to obtain and protect their rights, then the government will have a mandate to roughshod over every American.
So far, the Department of Justice hasn't responded.
Join the conversation as a VIP Member