Former President Donald Trump is gearing up to sue the Justice Department for a whopping $100 million in damages, following the government’s unprecedented 2022 raid on his Mar-a-Lago estate in Palm Beach, Florida. Trump’s legal team is arguing that the raid was nothing more than a politically motivated hit job, designed to target him rather than uphold the law.
In a memo obtained by Fox News, Trump’s attorneys outline what they describe as “tortious conduct by the United States against President Trump.” The lawsuit stems from the FBI’s August 8, 2022, raid, part of the federal investigation into Trump’s alleged mishandling of classified documents. The raid led to Special Counsel Jack Smith being appointed, who later hit Trump with 37 felony charges, including willful retention of national defense information and conspiracy to obstruct justice. Trump, unsurprisingly, pleaded not guilty to all charges.
However, in a turn of events that seems almost scripted for a political drama, U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon dismissed Smith’s case against Trump last month. Cannon ruled that Smith’s appointment and funding were unconstitutional, citing violations of the Appointments Clause. This ruling provided the perfect opening for Trump’s legal team to go on the offensive.
Trump’s attorney, Daniel Epstein, has already filed the notice to sue the Justice Department. The department now has 180 days to respond and attempt to resolve the matter. If they fail to reach a resolution, the case will move to federal court in the Southern District of Florida, setting the stage for a legal showdown.
Epstein made it clear that Trump’s fight isn’t just about him. “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,” Epstein told Fox Business’ Lydia Hu.
The notice filed by Epstein outlines a series of grievances against the DOJ and FBI, accusing them of intruding upon Trump’s privacy, engaging in malicious prosecution, and abusing the legal process. Epstein argues that the decisions made by Attorney General Merrick Garland and FBI Director Christopher Wray were driven not by law enforcement principles but by a blatant desire to politically persecute Trump. He slammed the raid as a “clear dereliction of constitutional principles” and lambasted the DOJ for straying from established protocols that should have protected a former president from such an invasive search.
Epstein contends that the FBI’s conduct during the Mar-a-Lago raid was “highly offensive” and violated Trump’s reasonable expectation of privacy. He further argues that the DOJ’s indictment was a malicious prosecution, highlighting the Supreme Court’s ruling that a president has immunity from prosecution for official acts.
In the end, Trump’s lawsuit isn’t just about money—it’s about taking a stand against what his legal team describes as a politically motivated attack, designed to undermine him and anyone who dares to challenge the establishment.
