How To Sue Donald Trump

Summer Zervos V Donald J Trump

Armed with hotshot attorney Gloria Allred, Summer Zervosa former candidate on Trump’s reality TV show The Apprenticehas filed a defamation suit against the president. Last fall, Zervos, along with several other women, alleged that Trump had sexually assaulted her. Trump denied the allegations, prompting Zervos to file suit seeking damages for “emotional and economic harm.” Allred has said her client will drop the case, however, if Trump takes back what he said, and acknowledges the assault happened.

Lawsuits Can Be Weaponized

The most obvious lesson that can be learned from Trumps legal history is that you can weaponize lawsuits for your own ends. The Deutsche Bank lawsuit from 2008 was clearly intended to negotiate a new loan repayment agreement, the TrumpNationlawsuit was most likely intended to intimidate the publisher and author into pulling their books, and the numerous lawsuits against Palm Beach County in the 90s were to let him bypass existing restrictions and do whatever he wanted with his property.

To be fair, Trump is far from the only person who has used litigation in this way. In fact, this practice is so widespread that its been given a name Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation .According to California lawyer Aaron Morris, this term refers to a lawsuit where the plaintiff does not care whether win the lawsuit and is only interested in getting the defendant to give up due to fear, intimidation, mounting legal costs or simple exhaustion.

Weaponized litigation has become a major problem that threatens the integrity of Americas legal system, but the good news is that many parts of the country offer anti-SLAPP legislation. This means that successfully identifying legal action taken against you as a SLAPP in these states can have the case thrown out and harshly punish the plaintiff for their abuse of the system.

Biden: Russian Attacks ‘should Make Your Blood Run Cold’

After President Vladimir Putin issued a veiled threat about using his nuclear arsenal, President Joe Biden delivered an impassioned speech at the United Nations. Biden slammed the threat as “reckless,” forcefully condemning the Kremlin’s brutal invasion of Ukraine and urging the world to stand firm behind efforts to repel the aggression. Russia’s attacks on schools, hospitals and rail stations “should make your blood run cold,” Biden said Wednesday.

Hours before, Putin tried to boost Russia’s flagging fortunes in Ukraine by authorizing a partial mobilization of reservists the first such call-up since World War II. In a televised address, Putin accused the West of nuclear blackmail and said his government will use all its means to protect itself.

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Understand New York States Civil Case Against Trump

An empire under scrutiny.Letitia James, New York States attorney general, has been conducting a yearslong civil investigation into former President Donald J. Trumps business practices, culminating in a lawsuit that accused Mr. Trump of staggering fraud. Heres what to know:

The origins of the inquiry.The investigation started after Michael D. Cohen, Mr. Trumps former personal lawyer and fixer, testified to Congress in 2019 that Mr. Trump and his employees had manipulated his net worth to suit his interests.

Mr. Trumps lawsuit.In December 2021, Mr. Trump sued Ms. James, seeking to halt the inquiry on the grounds that the attorney generals involvement in the investigation was politically motivated. In May, a federal judge dismissed the suit.

Invoking the Fifth Amendment.In August, Mr. Trump testified in a court-ordered deposition, but he invoked his constitutional right not to respond to the attorney generals questions on the grounds that his answers might incriminate him more than 400 times.

Fraud lawsuit.In September, Ms. Jamess office rebuffed a settlement offer from Mr. Trumps lawyers. Days later, she filed a lawsuit against Mr. Trump and his family business, accusing them of a sweeping pattern of fraudulent business practices.

His decision to stay silentmay have handed the attorney general some additional leverage: In civil cases, refusing to answer questions can, in some instances, be held against defendants at trial.

Maggie Haberman contributed reporting.

Jeffrey Stein V A Whole Bunch Of Federal Agencies

Okay, okay, this doesn’t directly target Trump but since it involves Newsweek, it warranted a mention. Right? Stein, Newsweek‘s national security correspondent, has filed suit against various federal agencies to find out how some of Trump’s closest advisors got clearance to attend various security briefings, despite some having business connections and other ties that should have raised red flags.

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Construction And Property Law Matters

In 2011, Donald Trump sued Scotland, alleging that it built the Aberdeen Bay Wind Farm after assuring him it would not be built. He had recently built a golf course there and planned to build an adjacent hotel. Trump lost his suit, with the Supreme Court of the United Kingdom unanimously ruling in favor of the Scottish government in 2015.

In 2013, 87-year-old Jacqueline Goldberg unsuccessfully sued Trump on allegations that he cheated her in a condominium sale by bait-and-switch when she was purchasing properties at the Trump International Hotel and Tower.

In 2015, Trump initiated a $100 million lawsuit against Palm Beach County claiming that officials, in a “deliberate and malicious” act, pressured the FAA to direct air traffic to the Palm Beach International Airport over his estate, because he said the airplanes damaged the building and disrupted its ambiance. Trump had previously sued the county twice over airport noise the first lawsuit, in 1995, ended with an agreement between Trump and the county Trump’s second lawsuit, in 2010, was dismissed.

Summer Zervos Defamation Suit

Zervos vs. Trump, No. 150522/2017 , appeal docketed, No. APL-2020-00009

Plaintiff: Summer Zervos, former contestant on the Apprentice

Case Summary: On Jan. 17, 2017, Zervos filed a suit in New York State Court against Trump for defamation. During Trumps campaign, many women, including Zervos, accused Trump of inappropriate sexual conduct. In her complaint against Trump, Zervos claims that in 2007, while she sought employment from Trump, he kissed her on the lips and touched her inappropriately. After she rejected his advances, his attitude became very business-like and he later offered her a job for half the salary she was seeking. She attempted to contact Trump, noting that she felt she was being penalized for not sleeping with him. Trump said he could not discuss it with her at the time. Zervos says she decided to come forward with these allegations after the Billy Bush Access Hollywood Tape showed Trump speaking in a derogatory manner toward women. In response to her allegations, Trump claims she was lying and was only making these accusations to help the Clinton campaign or to get fame.

Zervos alleges that, as a result of Trumps claims, she has suffered both emotional and financial harm.

This motion has been appealed to the New York Court of Appeals, the highest New York state court.

Update-3: On Nov. 12, 2021, Zervos announced she is dropping the lawsuit.

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Lawsuits Involving Former President Donald Trump

Trump was involved in a variety of lawsuits even before he became the president. While in office, there were civil actions that looked into allegations of overthrowing the 2020 elections. For example, the table below shows the most notable lawsuits that involved former President Donald Trump:

Lawsuits Around Sexual Misconduct And Assault

• Lawsuit by Katie Johnson which alleges that Trump and Jeffrey Epstein sexually and physically abused her under threats to physically harm her and her family while a 13-year-old minor from JuneSeptember 1994
• Katie Johnson v. Donald J Trump and Jeffrey E Epstein

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It Just Got Easier To Sue Donald Trump

When Summer Zervos, a former contestant on The Apprentice, arrived at the Beverly Hills Hotel one night in 2007, one of Donald Trumps security guards immediately escorted her to his room. Thats where Trump forced himself on her and groped her, according to a lawsuit she filed against him.

Come on, man. Get real, Zervos said before shoving Trump away, according to the suit.

Zervos, one of 19 women who have accused the president of sexual assault, went public with her allegations a few weeks before the 2016 election. And when Trump called her a liar, she sued him for defamation in New York. Ever since, Trumps lawyers have tried to argue that Zervos cant sue Trump in state court. It’s a novel defense that would expand the legal immunity already granted to the office of the president.

After months of consideration, a New York State Supreme Court justice finally ruled on Tuesday that Zervosdefamation case can move forward, opening the door for more lawsuits against the president of the United States. Trump himself could even be deposed in the case which Zervos attorney offered to do in-between rounds on the . That would make Trump only the second president to testify on his own behalf in court, after Bill Clinton.

No one is above the law, Justice Jennifer Shecter wrote in her decision, the first of its kind, on Tuesday.

Zervos, however, has said shed retract her lawsuit if the president would simply admit what he did.

Can I Sue The President

By FindLaw Staff | Reviewed by Bridget Molitor, J.D. | Last updated August 24, 2020

No, you cannot sue a current President of the United States for just anything. They are immune from liability in a personal capacity when acting within their executive power or when completing official acts.

You can sue a former or current president for criminal charges that occurred while they were in office, whether the acts were official or unofficial. This happened in 2020 when President Donald Trump was denied absolute immunity for a state criminal subpoena.

Before or after someone becomes president, they are subject to the same laws that apply to all other members of our society.

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Lawsuits Against A President Vs Impeachment

Congress can choose to impeach a president whether a lawsuit is involved or not. It is common for impeachment to follow a lawsuit, but a lawsuit does not need to occur. To date, there have been four impeachment inquiries:

• Andrew Johnson: Charged for violating the Tenure of Office Act, but was not removed from office. The impeachment was not tied to a particular lawsuit.
• Richard Nixon: Charged for obstruction of justice, abuse of power, and contempt of Congress, but was not removed from office. Nixon resigned. The impeachment was not tied to a particular lawsuit.
• Bill Clinton: Charged for perjury to a grand jury and obstructing justice, but was not removed from office. This case was tied to a lawsuit.
• Donald Trump: Charged for obstruction of justice and abuse of power, but was not removed from office. The impeachment was not tied to a particular lawsuit.

No one has been removed from the office of the president due to a lawsuit or impeachment. However, these can contribute to a president resigning or not running for a second term.

Two Georgia Election Workers Sue Rudy Giuliani And One America News

Two Georgia election workers have sued former president Donald Trumps attorney Rudy Giuliani and right-wing news network One America News.

Ruby Freeman and Wandrea Shaye Moss filed the lawsuit on Thursday in the US District Court for the District of Columbia and said that because of both defendants, the two, who are mother and daughter, have become the objects of vitriol, threats, and harassment.

They found themselves in this unenviable position not based on anything they did, but instead because of a campaign of malicious lies designed to accuse them of interfering with a fair and impartial election, which is precisely what each of them swore an oath to protect, the lawsuit said.

Ms Freeman and Ms Moss specifically cited OAN owners Robert and Charles Herring as well as reporter Chanel Rion alongside Mr Giulian,i and said they are responsible for assassinating their character. Specifically, the suit alleges that the network engaged in a concerted effort to accuse Ms Freeman and Ms Moss of committing ballot fraud to steal the 2020 presidential election despite knowing the claims were not true.

Ms Freeman worked as a temporary election worker with Fulton Countys Registration and Elections Department while Ms Moss supervised the countys ballot operation during the election.

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Capitol Police Suit For Jan 6 Riots

Blassingame v. Trump, No. 21-cv-00858

Plaintiff: James Blassingame and Sidney Hemby, two Capitol police officers

Case Summary: On Mar. 30, 2021, two Capitol Police Officers sued Donald Trump for injuries they sustained during the Jan. 6 riots in DC. The officersJames Blassingame and Sidney Hembysay they were maced with bear spray, attacked with fists and flagpoles, and even crushed against a door as they tried to protect the Capitol from pro-Trump intruders.

Much like the other Jan. 6 suits against Trump, the officers pin their injuries on Trumps incendiary rhetoric before and during violence. Both allege that Trump directed the rioters to assault them, aided the rioters in committing those assaults, and negligently incited the riot in violation of DCs public safety codes. Blassingame also accuses Trump of directing intentional infliction of emotional distress, pointing to the racial slurs and taunts that the intruders allegedly hurled at him during the violence.

Case Status: The officers filed their suit in DC federal court on Mar. 30, 2021. On Apr. 28, 2021, the plaintiffs added two new conspiracy claims against Trump, one based on the KKK Act and the other on common law conspiracy. They allege that Trump illegally conspired with the Proud Boys and the Oath Keepers to storm the Capitol, which in turn caused the plaintiffs injuries.

Update-4: On Mar. 18, 2022, Trump appealed the district courts ruling to the D.C. Circuit.

Suing Trump For Emotional Distress

Former President Donald Trump is known for his racist remarks. Unfortunately, these remarks have prompted the Chinese American Civil Rights Coalition to sue Trump for defamation and causing emotional distress among Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders . For example, some of the allegations include:

• The lawsuit cites the former presidents racially charged monikers to describe COVID-19 such as the “Chinese Virus,””China Virus,””Wuhan Flu,” and “Kung Flu.”
• Civil rights coalition has alleged Trumps defamatory racial slurs are the cause for increased assaults against Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders.
• The plaintiff is seeking financial damages of approximately $22.9 million thats equivalent to $1 for each Asian American and Pacific Islander residing in the US.
• The Chinese American Civil Rights Coalition is planning to use the damages to build a museum that highlights the contributions of the AAPI to the United States.

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Georgia 2020 Election Investigation

Two investigations in the state of Georgia regarding phone calls that Trump made to the Georgia Secretary of State. In the call, Trump asks the Secretary of State to “find votes” to overturn the 2020 United States presidential election. These charges include Criminal Solicitation to Commit Election Fraud, Intentional Interference with Performance of Election Duties, Conspiracy to Commit Election Fraud, Criminal Solicitation, Racketeering, and a dozen other statutes.

Cork Wine Bar V Donald J Trump

Khalid Pitts and Diane Gross say they’re in an unfortunate position. The owners of the D.C.-based Cork Wine Bar and Cork Market & Tasting Room, they claim they’re losing business to Trump’s D.C.-based hotel. They’ve filed suit against Trump and his Trump International Hotel, alleging unfair competition. The pair say they don’t want damages, but would like the president to resign or divest from the hotel, or close it entirely.

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The State Of Hawaii And Ismail Elshikh V Donald J Trump

Trump’s immigration ban has opened him to dozens of lawsuits. This one, from Hawaii and Elshikh, imam of the Muslim Association of Hawaii, argues that Trump’s latest executive order, which refuses visas to people from Iran, Syria, Somalia, Sudan, Yemen and Libya, is nothing more than a ban on Muslims. If they can prove Trump is discriminating against people based on religion then a court can find Trump in violation of the First Amendment.

For more immigration-related lawsuits, check out Harvard, Yale and Stanford’s joint suit as well as the one from the Council on American-Islamic Relations.