DNC Hit with First Defamation Suit over 'Irreparable Damage' Caused by Dossier
Former Trump campaign adviser Carter Page has filed a defamation suit against the Democratic National Committee and its law firm for the Steele dossier.
Page filed the suit in federal court in Oklahoma and named not only the DNC, but also its law firm, Perkins Coie, and two of its partners, Marc Elias and Michael Sussmann, The Daily Caller News Foundation reported.
Perkins Coie also represented Hillary Clinton’s campaign, and they were hired by Fusion GPS, an opposition research group that investigated Donald Trump’s possible involvement with Russia.
Fusion GPS, which was started by three former Wall Street Journal reporters, hired former British spy Christopher Steele to conduct the investigation as part of a $1 million project.
The result of that investigation was a dossier that alleged ties between the Kremlin and President Donald Trump’s campaign, asserting that the Kremlin was blackmailing then-candidate Trump, among other things.
That document also claims that Page attended secret meetings with Kremlin officials and worked with Russia to influence the 2016 election, according to The Daily Caller News Foundation.
Page has persistently denied that claim and told CNN’s Jake Tapper in July that he has “never been an agent of a foreign power by any stretch of the imagination.”
According to Oklahoma City’s CBS News 9, Page’s suit cited “death threats” following the release of the dossier, which forced him to move for his own safety.
“My decision to pursue this action in the (Western District of Oklahoma) … is part of the extraordinary efforts I have had to continue taking to remain safe,” Page wrote.
News 9 also reported that Page’s majority stake in the energy company, Global Natural Gas Ventures, LLC, which has offices in Oklahoma City, gave him grounds to file the suit in Oklahoma City.
The case will be heard by Judge Joe Heaton, who was an appointee of President George W. Bush and presides over the court in a predominantly politically conservative area of the Southern United States.
The dossier, which was given to many journalists and the FBI, allegedly caused Page to be the subject of numerous lies, according to Page’s earlier interview with CNN.
These lies brought Page “irreparable damage” and he is seeking $75,000 as a result, according to The Washington Times.
On Monday, Fox News’ Sean Hannity had Page on his program, and highlighted the numerous people who had leaned on the dossier in the past, but would not testify under oath on the topic, including Steele, the spy who originally compiled it.
Hannity commented that Page was “going to be a really wealthy guy,” referring to the possibility that Page would be able to prove that his rights were violated, and win the case.
“Because what they did to you, all your Fourth Amendment protections were stomped on. This isn’t political even in any way, Carter,” Hannity said.
Page was quick to clarify that his suit “goes beyond any damages.”
“You look at the damage that it did to our democratic systems and our institutions of government back in 2016, and I’m just trying to get some justice in terms of getting disclosure.”
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