Donald Trump to Sue US Justice Department for $100M Over FBI Raid on Mar-a-Lago Mansion
Former US President Donald Trump is set to sue the Justice Department for $100 million in punitive damages over the 2022 FBI search of his Mar-a-Lago estate. Trump accuses US Attorney General Merrick Garland and FBI Director Christopher Wray of engaging in a “malicious political prosecution” intended to prevent his re-election.
The FBI conducted the search on August 8, 2022, resulting in the seizure of more than 100 classified documents. This led to a 37-count felony indictment against Trump by special counsel Jack Smith. Trump, 78, has pleaded not guilty to all charges, including willful retention of national defense files and conspiracy to obstruct justice.
Trump’s lawyer, Daniel Epstein, filed an administrative tort claim against the DOJ. Epstein argues that Garland and Wray applied “inconsistent standards” and were guilty of a “clear dereliction of constitutional principles” when they approved the search of Trump’s Palm Beach, Florida, residence.
Epstein’s memo contends that Garland and Wray should have adhered to the well-established protocol of using non-enforcement methods to retrieve records from former US presidents. The memo, first reported by Fox News, claims that the raid was unnecessary and that Trump’s consent should have been sought.
The Justice Department has six months to respond to the claim. If no settlement is reached within that time, the case will move to federal court.
US District Judge Maryellen Noreika dismissed the case last month, ruling that Smith had been unconstitutionally appointed.