President Donald Trump’s former campaign aide Carter Page filed a lawsuit against the Democratic National Committee (DNC) and the Perkins Coie law firm over the salacious and unverified dossier they helped fund that was produced by ex-British spy Christopher Steele.
The lawsuit, filed this week in the U.S. District Court of the Northern District of Illinois, alleges that the DNC, the law firm, and other parties “used false information, misrepresentations and other misconduct to direct the power of the international intelligence apparatus and the media industry against [Page] to further their political agenda.”
“In connection with an effort to counter the Trump campaign, Defendants undertook to develop opposition research regarding Trump and his campaign, including persons associated with that campaign,” the new lawsuit states.
“As part of this effort, Defendants developed a dossier replete with falsehoods about numerous individuals associated with the Trump campaign—especially Dr. Page. Defendants then sought to tarnish the Trump campaign and its affiliates (including Dr. Page) by publicizing this false information.”
The dossier mobilized media outlets against Page, according to the suit, effectively destroying his life. Page, who faced death threats and struggled to get customers for his businesses, said the parties defamed him and injured his reputation and interfered with his and his businesses’ prospects.
Page is seeking “an award of compensatory, special and punitive damages in appropriate amounts to be established at trial; injunctive relief prohibiting the publication or republication of the defamatory statements,” and court costs.
The Democratic National Committee and Perkins Coie didn’t immediately return a request for comment.
