Topline
On Tuesday, former president Donald Trump filed a lawsuit against three New York Times reporters and his niece Mary. They are accused of plotting to obtain highly sensitive records and confidential information for an investigative report published in 2018 by the paper. It detailed allegations that Trump was involved in tax fraud schemes.
Donald Trump, a former president, has accused Mary, the New York Times' niece, and Mary of plotting to get his tax records. Getty Images
The Key Facts
According to the suit filed in Dutchess County New York, Mary Trump was convinced by the New York Times to smuggle records from her attorney's office and give them to the newspaper. The suit claims that Mary Trump committed these actions despite signing a confidentiality agreement in 2001 to settle a legal dispute over the will of Frederick Trump, the former president's father and Mary's grandfather. Trump seeks damages of no less than One Hundred million Dollars from his niece and NYT. NYT stated that its coverage of Trump's taxes helped inform citizens about a topic of overriding public interests and that the suit was an attempt silence independent news organizations.
Important Quote
Susanne Craig, a New York Times reporter and one of the three being sued, wrote on Twitter: "I knocked on Mary Trump's door." She opened it. That is journalism, I believe.
Tangent
In a suit filed by Robert, the brother of the former president, Mary Trump had sued Dutchess County. The suit was filed to block Mary's book Too Much and Never Enough. How My Family Created Worlds Most Dangerous Man. However, the judge ruled that the confidentiality agreement from 2001 was too vague to prevent her writing about the sitting president.
Important Background
The New York Times published a 2018 article detailing allegations that Trump Sr. participated in tax fraud schemes, including outright fraud, that enabled him to get more than $413 million from his father Fred Trump Sr. This article rebutted Trump's election narrative that he was self-made billionaire. Trump has always maintained that his father gave him very little financial support. Trump dismissed the article immediately on his now defunct Twitter account, calling it boring, old and repetitive. Russ Buettner, Susanne Craig, and David Barstow were awarded a Pulitzer Prize for 2019 for their investigative reporting. Mary Trump revealed how she helped NYT reporters get the records in her 2020 book. In 2017, she wrote that she had taken 19 boxes of documents from Farrell Fritz in order to challenge Fred Trump Sr.'s estate and gave them to the journalists. She stated that she was allowed to have the documents provided that there was a copy.
Continue reading
Trump sues the NYT and NieceWho Calls him F*cking a Loser (The Daily Beast).
Trump files suit against the New York Times, and his niece, over the 2018 tax records story (Washington Post).
Trump Involved in Suspected Tax Schemes As He Recovered Riches from His Father (New York Times).
