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The DNC Sues Russia, the Trump Campaign, and Wikileaks

By Dustin Rowles | Politics | April 20, 2018 |

By Dustin Rowles | Politics | April 20, 2018 |


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The Democratic National Committee has filed a lawsuit against Russia, the Trump campaign, and Wikileaks, alleging that they conspired together to interfere with the 2016 election and tilt the outcome in favor of Donald Trump. The lawsuit is similar to one filed by the DNC against the Nixon campaign after Watergate; Nixon eventually settled that lawsuit for $750,000 on the day he left office.

It should be noted, too, that there is some question about whether Russia might be immune from the suit, because foreign countries have immunity in suits brought in the United States, although the DNC is arguing that by hacking into their computers, they trespassed on private property, and therefore have lost immunity.

What does this mean? It broke only a few minutes ago, so there’s not a lot of commentary out there on this, yet, but here is what I think: I don’t know if it’s a great idea, politically. I’d personally like to see the Mueller probe come to a conclusion on Russian interference, and then maybe the Democrats use the Mueller report as evidence in a future lawsuit against the Trump campaign. This may or may not become a distraction, and it certainly gives Republicans another playing field for which to launch their assaults.

On the other hand, I’m not even sure that this is entirely political, and I love that the Democrats are playing offense. It could be about the money, and if they can prove that Trump, Russia, and Wikileaks conspired to hack into their computers, they deserve the money.

This may also be another way in which the Democrats can keep Russian interference in the headlines, or compel Congress to do something about it because god knows that Trump is not, and this could be a way to highlight that. Maybe it also elicits new information during the course of discovery (although, the GOP would also be able to gain information on the DNC from discovery). Maybe it also helps to paint a clearer picture to the American people of what’s at stake behind the porn star and the fixer and the pee tape by emphasizing what we know to be true — the Russians, in cahoots with Wikileaks, hacked the DNC and published the materials — and trying to tie the Trump campaign to that hack.

Moreover, if Trump manages to shut down Mueller and the Russian probe, this lawsuit will remain standing and there’s not much that Trump can do about it. Interestingly, Trump himself is not named as a defendant, although Kushner, Manafort, Don Jr., and Gates are.

I don’t know about this, but it sure seems like there is more upside than downside.