Donald Trump is suing Hillary Clinton and other Democrats, claiming they tried to rig the 2016 election by accusing Trump of colluding with Russia.
The former president is suing Clinton, the Democratic National Committee and numerous top Democratic officials for allegedly taking part in a 'far-reaching conspiracy' to discredit his election bid.
More than a dozen defendants were named in the lawsuit including former FBI Director James Comey, Clinton Campaign Chair John Podesta, and British intelligence ex-agent Christopher Steele.
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Trump ended up winning the 2016 election, which makes the belated lawsuit all the more strange.
He's seeking a jury trial, invoking the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) Act, which is most often used to prosecute organised crime.
Trump claimed the defendants' actions had forced him to incur more than $24 million (£18m) in expenses 'in the form of defence costs, legal fees, and related expenses'.
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Trump is seeking $72 million (£54m) in damages, CNBC reports.
The lawsuit, which was filed in the US District Court for the Southern District of Florida, reads: "In the run-up to the 2016 Presidential Election, Hillary Clinton and her cohorts orchestrated an unthinkable plot – one that shocks the conscience and is an affront to this nation’s democracy.
"Acting in concert, the Defendants maliciously conspired to weave a false narrative that their Republican opponent, Donald J. Trump, was colluding with a hostile foreign sovereignty.
"Their far-reaching conspiracy was designed to cripple Trump’s bid for presidency by fabricating a scandal that would be used to trigger an unfounded federal investigation and ignite a media frenzy."
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He goes on to accuse Clinton and other Democrats of 'racketeering' and 'conspiracy to commit injurious falsehoods'.
Elsewhere the lawsuit claims: "When their gambit failed, and Donald J. Trump was elected, the Defendants’ efforts continued unabated, merely shifting their focus to undermining his presidential administration."
In his 2019 investigation, Robert Muller found no evidence of criminal conspiracy, however he said the Trump campaign was 'receptive' to offers of assistance from Russia.
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Trump's lawyer Alina Habba said in a statement to CNBC: "The lawsuit filed today outlines the Defendants’ nefarious plot to vilify Donald J. Trump by spreading lies to weave a false narrative that he was colluding with Russia.
"For years, Hillary Clinton and her cohorts attempted to shield themselves from culpability by directing others to do their dirty work for them. This lawsuit seeks to hold all parties accountable for their heinous acts and uphold the principles of our sacred democracy."
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Topics: Donald Trump, US News
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Simon Fearn