PALM BEACH, Fla. — Former President Donald Trump is set to sue the Department of Justice for the 2022 raid of his Mar-a-Lago property in Palm Beach, Florida.
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According to Fox News, Trump is suing the DOJ for $100 million in damages, arguing the raid was done with “clear intent to engage in political persecution.”
Fox News obtained Trump’s memo claiming “tortious conduct by the United States against President Trump.”
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Trump’s Mar-a-Lago property was raided by the FBI in 2022 as part of a federal investigation into his alleged improper retention of classified documents.
After the raid, Special Council Jack Smith was appointed to investigate and brought 37 felony counts against Trump, including retention of national defense information, conspiracy to obstruct justice and false statements. Trump pleaded not guilty to all counts.
But last month, U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon dismissed the case, ruling Smith was unlawfully appointed and funded.
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Fox News reports that Trump’s attorney Daniel Epstein filed a notice to sue the DOJ. The department now has 180 days to respond to the notice and come to a resolution. If not, the case will move to federal court in the Southern District of Florida.
In the notice, Epstein argues that decisions made by Attorney General Merrick Garland and FBI Director Christopher Wray were not based on “social, economic or political policy.” Instead, their decisions were based on the “clear dereliction of constitutional principals, inconsistent standards as applied to [Trump and a ] clear intent to engage in political persecution, not to advance good law enforcement practices.”
Epstein also argued that the department broke Florida law, intrusion upon seclusion, considered an invasion of privacy, and argued malicious prosecution. He said the special council’s office “brought a lawless criminal indictment” against Trump and pointed to the Supreme Court ruling on a president’s immunity for official acts.
The Justice Department has yet to comment on the coming lawsuit.
NOTE: This article was written with the help of Fox News. Click here to read more from the original article.
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