While there are likely scores of lawsuits currently ongoing involving himself and/or his company as well as scores more pending, there are twelve that should be most concerning to Donald Trump after his re-emergence at CPAC, according to JustSecurity.
Attorney General of DC v. Trump (DC criminal case, pending): The DC Attorney General Karl Racine is considering charging Trump with inciting violence in relation to the January 6th domestic terrorist on the Capitol. This is a case with a high bar for prosecutors to gain to make charges stick, partly because of the nature of the crime but also because the DC court has limited ability to carry on such a case that occured on Federal properties. The investigations are ongoing, with the officers arresting people caught in and around the Capitol who were committing assault and violence. Decisions on prosecuting the inciters is on hold.
Carroll v. Trump (Federal civil case): E. Jean Carroll, a journalist who wrote for Elle and Playboy, claimed Trump sexually assaulted her in the dressing room of a Manhattan department store. Trump has not just denied the charges, he allegedly defamed Carroll, who has the dress she was wearing when it happened along with (what she claims) is a, um, “sample” of Trump’s DNA. Carroll is suing Trump for defamation, and Trump has a court order to turn over a sample of is DNA. The next hearing on this case: April 16, 2021.
District of Columbia v. 58th Presidential Inauguration Committee (DC superior court civil suit): In a case brought by the Attorney General of the District of Columbia, Trump and others face accusations that they improperly used money from the $107 million raised for the January 2017 inaugural celebration, including redirecting money to their own benefit by raising prices at their hotel for the Inauguration Committee. Status: New charges were added January 11, 2021. The case is currently in discovery, with Ivanka Trump and Donald Trump, Jr. already among those deposed.
Doe v. Trump Corp. (Federal civil case): A class action suit brought by anonymous plaintiffs against Trump Corporation, and Donald Trump, Ivanka Trump, Donald Trump Jr., and Eric Trump individually, claiming that Trump et al engaged in fraudulent business practices to defraud people out of money. The suit states Trump used his brand to con people through ACN Opportunity, LLC, a multi-level marketing scheme Trump endorsed; the Trump Network, LLC another multi-level marketing scheme that sold vitamins and health products; and Business Strategies Group, LLC, that group that produced seminars claiming to sell the Trump secrets to success. Status: After losing an effort to force arbitration, Trump et al appealed to the Second Circuit Court.
Fulton County District Attorney v. Trump (Georgia state felony count, pending): Fulton County DA is investigating calls made by Donald Trump to Florida government and election, including the governor and the secretary of state, in which Trump made threats and pleas to discovery enough votes to declare him the winner. Status: The DA has requested the governor’s office, the lieutenant governor’s office and the secretary of state’s office preserve letters, emails and other material relating to the interactions with federal officials for a potential future case. This includes records regarding conversations with South Carolina Republican Senator Lindsey Graham.
Ithaca Capital Investors. v. Trump Panama Hotel Management (Federal civil case): TPHM is a division of Trump International Hotels Management, which itself is part of the Trump Organization. Ithaca Capitol, an investor in a Trump managed property in Panama, claims Trump’s company overstated the profitability and status of the property when Ithaca was doing due diligence on buying more units. Status: Still in its preliminary status, with discovery set to end in August 2021.
Michigan Welfare Rights Organization v. Trump (Federal civil case) Joined by the NAACP and represented by the NAACP Legal Defense Fund, the MWRO initial sued Trump based on Trump’s actions to intimidate local and state elections officials were violations of the Voting Rights Act 52 U.S.C. § 10307(b). When the NAACP joined the case on December 20, 2020, the case was amended to include an alleged violation of the Ku Klux Klan Act of 1871 42 U.S.C. § 1985(1) in conjunction with the Thompson case below. Status: On February 25th, Trump moved to dismiss the case saying that it was filed in the wrong court, that the laws cannot be brought by private parties, and that nothing Trump did was illegal.
People of New York State v. Trump Organization (New York State civil case): This case revolves around the alleged practice of the Trumps and their business to manipulate the estimated value of various properties to lower estimates for taxes or increase assets when need as collateral for loans. Status: Eric Trump was deposed last October, but he refused to turn over records, claiming attorney-client privilege, an assertion shot down by an appeals court, meaning he’ll have to turn over thousands of pages of documents relating to tax filings.
Thompson v. Trump (Federal civil case): Mississippi Democratic Congressman Bennie Thompson sued Trump, Rudy Giuliani, the Proud Boys and the Oath Keepers under the Ku Klux Klan Act of 1871 42 U.S.C. § 1985(1) alleging that the defendants acted to prevent federal officials from completing their official duties by using violence and intimidation to attempt to prevent the certification of the Electoral College by Congress on January 6th. Status: The case was filed February 16th, with defendants’ responses due in early March.
Trump v. Trump (New York state civil case): Niece Mary Trump has sued her uncle and aunts for defrauding her out of millions in inheritance following the death of her grandfather. Mary Trump disclosed family financial information to the New York Times, which revealed a number of potentially illegal tax avoidance frauds. Status: On January 4, 2021, Donald Trump moved to dismiss the case; her lawyers filed a response last Friday.
Trump v. Deutsche Bank in conjunction with Trump v. Vance (Federal Criminal Court in SDNY): Both of these cases concern turning over records of Trump’s taxes and business dealings having to do with monies laundered through the Trump Organization and Deutsche Bank. Trump is trying to sue Deutsche Bank to prevent them from turning over the records to Congressional investigators; the Cyrus Vance’s Manhattan’s attorney’s office already has them. Status: The Congressional case was dismissed when the new Congress was sworn in, but the Vance case continues because the US Supreme Court ruled in favor of Vance getting the records.
Zervos vs. Trump (New York state civil case): Summer Zervos, a former contestant on Trump’s television show, The Apprentice, alleges Trump sexually assaulted her on the set of the program, and that she refused his request to sleep with him. She said her career and reputation were damaged because of him. Status: Zervos has filed a motion to continue the case after it was suspended while Trump was in office.