Donald Trump is suing Hilary Clinton and a slew of other Democrats, claiming they tried to rig the 2016 US election by accusing him of colluding with Russia.
Clinton, the Democratic National Committee and several top Democratic officials have all been accused by Trump for allegedly taking part in a 'far-reaching conspiracy' to discredit his 2016 election bid.
More than a dozen other defendants were also named in the lawsuit, such as former FBI Director James Comey, Clinton Campaign Chair John Podesta, and British intelligence ex-agent Christopher Steele.
The belated lawsuit may come as a surprise, because despite Trump accusing Clinton and others for engaging in the alleged 'conspiracy' against him, Trump won the election in 2016.
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The lawsuit was filed at the US District Court for the Southern District of Florida, and claims that 'in the run-up to the 2016 Presidential Election, Hillary Clinton and her cohorts orchestrated an unthinkable plot - one that shocks the conscience and is an affront to this nation's democracy'.
"Acting in concert, the Defendants maliciously conspired to weave a false narrative that their Republican opponent, Donald J. Trump, was colluding with a hostile foreign sovereignty," the lawsuit filing reads.
"Their far-reaching conspiracy was designed to cripple Trump's bid for presidency by fabricating a scandal that would be used to trigger an unfounded federal investigation and ignite a media frenzy."
Trump also goes on to accuse Clinton and other Democrats of 'racketeering' and 'conspiracy to commit injurious falsehoods'.
But that's not all - elsewhere the lawsuit there are claims that when their 'gambit' failed and he was elected, their 'efforts continued unabated, merely shifting their focus to undermining his presidential administration'.
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In his 2019 investigation, special counsel Robert Muller found no evidence of criminal conspiracy to collude with Russia, however he said the Trump campaign was 'receptive' to offers of assistance from Russia.
Muller did not take a clear position on whether Trump obstructed justice.
Trump's lawyer Alina Habba said in a statement to CNBC: "The lawsuit filed today outlines the Defendants' nefarious plot to vilify Donald J. Trump by spreading lies to weave a false narrative that he was colluding with Russia.
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"For years, Hillary Clinton and her cohorts attempted to shield themselves from culpability by directing others to do their dirty work for them. This lawsuit seeks to hold all parties accountable for their heinous acts and uphold the principles of our sacred democracy."
Trump is seeking $72 million (£54m, AUD $94m) in damages, CNBC reports.
Topics: US News, Trump, Russia
