The Democratic National Committee filed a lawsuit against President Donald Trump’s campaign, the Russian government and WikiLeaks on Friday morning, claiming they conspired to sway the 2016 Presidential election in Trump’s favor.

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The Washington Post first reported that the DNC accused top officials in Russia and Trump’s campaign of deliberately weakening former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s presidential campaign through illegal means.

DNC Lawsuit by Zerohedge on Scribd

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The lawsuit states that in 2015 and 2016, Russian intelligence services extracted tens of thousands of documents and emails after hacking into DNC computers and telephone systems. The DNC said Russia used the information to destabilize the U.S. political environment, undermine Clinton and support Trump’s campaign because his proposed policies would benefit Russia.

“In the Trump campaign, Russia found a willing and active partner in this effort,” the lawsuit read. “In 2016, individuals tied to the Kremlin notified the Trump campaign that Russia intended to interfere with our democracy. Through multiple meetings, emails and other communications, these Russian agents made clear that their government supported Trump and was prepared to use stolen emails and other information to damage his opponent and the Democratic party.”

The lawsuit also said that the Trump campaign “gleefully welcomed Russia’s help,” and that it didn’t report Russia’s intended interference, instead soliciting it and maintaining secret communications with the Russian government. 

“Through these communications, the Trump Campaign, Trump’s closest advisors and Russian agents formed an agreement to promote Donald Trump’s candidacy through illegal means,” the lawsuit read. “Russian agents trespassed onto the DNC’s computer network in the United States, as well as other email accounts, collected trade secrets and other private data and then transmitted the data to Defendant WikiLeaks, whose founder, [Julian] Assange, shared the defendants’ common goal of damaging the Democratic party in advance of the election.”

According to the DNC, the information was then illegally disseminated at strategic times and praised by Trump while he was a candidate.

DNC Chairman Tom Perez reiterated the party’s position to the Washington Post.

“This constituted an act of unprecedented treachery: the campaign of a nominee for President of the United States in league with a hostile foreign power to bolster its own chance to win the presidency,” Perez told the Washington Post.

Special counsel Robert Mueller’s Russia probe still has not concluded, and Trump is still asserting he did not collude with Russia.

“Slippery James Comey, the worst FBI Director in history, was not fired because of the phony Russia investigation where, by the way, there was NO COLLUSION (except by the Dems)!” Trump tweeted just after 5 a.m. on Wednesday.

Suing foreign countries is tricky because most countries are immune to most lawsuits in the U.S. However, the DNC is arguing that because Russia interfered with the party’s private property, it can sue the country.

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Natasha Roy

Article by Natasha Roy