BREAKING: Federal Judge Dismisses DNC Lawsuit Against Trump Campaign, Russia and WikiLeaks with Prejudice

Shane Trejo

Jul 30, 2019

When the Democratic National Committee (DNC) announced that they had filed a lawsuit against the Trump campaign, Wikileaks and the Russian Federation alleging that those entities conspired to conduct a cyberattack against them before the 2016 election, many liberal observers thought it would uncover the smoking gun showing Donald Trump’s criminal and illicit behavior.

But the resistance was wrong yet again. Earlier today, a federal judge dismissed the suit with prejudice and denied a sanctions motion against the Trump campaign.

BREAKING: A federal judge DISMISSES the DNC’s lawsuit against the Trump campaign, Russia, WikiLeaks et al. with prejudice, and DENIES the Trump campaign’s sanctions motion.

Background on the lawsuit, via @CourthouseNews.

Opinion soon. pic.twitter.com/UfX38kjEC0

— Adam Klasfeld (@KlasfeldReports) July 30, 2019

District Judge John Koeltl, who was appointed to the bench by former President Bill Clinton, explained that Russia was the actor behind the malign activity against the DNC, and they are exempted from liability under the Foreign Sovereign Immunities Act (FSIA).

Judge Koeltl says the “primary wrongdoer” in the hacking was Russia, which he said is immune under the FSIA.

Here was the link to the background on the filing of the suit: https://t.co/fyOiBGhTF2

Developing story soon. pic.twitter.com/Mn3MJln00T

— Adam Klasfeld (@KlasfeldReports) July 30, 2019

Furthermore, Koeltl explained that WikiLeaks and the Trump campaign have First Amendment protections that prevent them from being held liable for sharing the materials stolen from the DNC by Russia.

As for the “second-level participants” in the alleged racketeering scheme, Koeltl says that they are shielded by the First Amendment from liability related to disseminating the stolen emails. pic.twitter.com/Z9mMOWl4YV

— Adam Klasfeld (@KlasfeldReports) July 30, 2019

“If WikiLeaks could be held liable for publishing documents concerning the DNC’s political financial and voter-engagement strategies simply because the DNC labels them ‘secret’ and trade secrets, then so could any newspaper or other media outlet,” Koeltl wrote in his decision, which can be read in full here.

The lawsuit, filed by the DNC in the Southern District of New York back in April of 2018, levied a dozen charges toward individuals they accused of conspiring with Russia and WikiLeaks including Paul Manafort, George Papadopoulos, Roger Stone, Jared Kushner, Rick Gates, and Donald Trump Jr.

“The conspiracy constituted an act of previously unimaginable treachery: the campaign of the presidential nominee of a major party in league with a hostile foreign power to bolster its own chance to win the presidency,” the complaint stated.

But like the fantasy of FBI spook Robert Mueller undoing the results of the 2016 presidential election with his special counsel investigation, the conspiracy theory fabricated by the DNC has gone up in smoke.