WASHINGTON – Responding to the lawsuit filed by the Democratic Party, USPresident Donald Trump remarked that he will counter the lawsuit with thehelp of ‘documents held by Pakistani mystery man’, Clinton emails andDebbie Wasserman Schultz servers.
In a tweet, the US President wrote: “Just heard the Campaign was sued bythe Obstructionist Democrats. This can be good news in that we will nowcounter for the DNC Server that they refused to give to the FBI, the DebbieWasserman Schultz Servers and Documents held by the Pakistani mystery manand Clinton Emails.”
Earlier, the Democratic Party had filed a lawsuit alleging that Russia,WikiLeaks, and top officials from Donald Trump’s campaign conspired to tiltthe 2016 US presidential election in the Republican’s favour.
The civil complaint filed in federal District Court in Manhattan by theDemocratic National Committee alleges that Russia informed Trump’s campaignthat it had conducted a cyber-attack on the DNC, leading to the release ofinformation damaging to Trump’s rival Hillary Clinton.
It also says a close Trump advisor, Roger Stone, appeared to have “advanceknowledge” of plans by the anti-secrecy group WikiLeaks to disseminate someof the stolen information — as part of what the suits allege was awide-ranging illegal conspiracy to influence the election.
In a series of meetings and communications, Russian officials orrepresentatives coordinated with Trump campaign personnel or associates formore than a year as they sought to lay the groundwork for a Trump upset,the Democrats allege.
“The Trump campaign and its agents gleefully welcomed Russia’s help,”according to the 66-page complaint, which demands monetary damages and adeclaration that the defendants conspired illegally.
“The conspiracy constituted an act of previously unimaginable treachery:the campaign of the presidential nominee of a major party in league with ahostile foreign power to bolster its own chance to win the presidency,” itadded.
The lawsuit targets Trump’s campaign, his son Donald Trump Jr, hisson-in-law Jared Kushner and numerous campaign officials including PaulManafort, as well as the Russian government including its foreign militaryintelligence agency, and WikiLeaks and its founder Julian Assange.
“During the 2016 presidential campaign, Russia launched an all-out assaulton our democracy, and it found a willing and active partner in DonaldTrump’s campaign,” DNC chairman Tom Perez said in a statement.
*Detailed chronology*
The Democratic move comes at a time of legal turmoil for the president,marked by a raid on the offices of his personal lawyer, and the release ofa book by James Comey which alleges Trump was obsessed with the Russiameddling probe when he sacked the former FBI chief.
Special counsel Robert Mueller and congressional investigators are probingpossible Trump campaign links to what US intelligence has concluded was asweeping effort to tilt the 2016 vote in Trump’s favour.
Trump has consistently rejected charges that he or his campaign colludedwith Russia — tweeting earlier this week about “the phony Russiainvestigation where, by the way, there was NO COLLUSION (except by theDems).”
The complaint lays out a detailed chronology of activity largely in thepublic sphere, thanks to news reports and previous court proceedings.
They include a June 2016 meeting in Trump Tower between members of Trump’steam and a Russian lawyer; and a series of emails and messages thatDemocrats say confirm coordination between Russia and Trump’s campaign.
It details the involvement of Manafort, who has been indicted for moneylaundering and tax evasion related to his work for Ukraine’s pro-Russiagovernment; former campaign advisor George Papadopoulos, who admitted tonumerous contacts with Russians and sought to arrange a trip by Trump toMoscow; and Aras Agalarov, a Russian oligarch with reputed close ties toPresident Vladimir Putin.
Whether the lawsuit heads to litigation is unclear. Many countries haveimmunity from US lawsuits, so suing Russia has its challenges. The DNCargues that Russia forfeits that protection because the cyber-attackconstituted a “trespass” on private property.
While the suit seeks compensation for the “damages and losses” suffered asa result of the hack, putting a financial value on the stolen emails —other than the $1 million the DNC said it cost the organization tore-secure its servers — might prove difficult. – APP/AFP