Humbled Trump Admits Defeat in $100m Legal Vendetta Against Niece
The president had accused her of being part of an “insidious plot” against him.
Getty Images
Donald Trump has dropped his $100 million lawsuit against his niece for allegedly handing confidential records to reporters probing his tax affairs.
The 80-year-old president had sued Mary Trump, 61, along with the New York Times and several of the newspaper’s reporters in September 2021, accusing them of an “insidious plot” to pry loose his private financial records that was motivated by “a personal vendetta and their desire to gain fame.”
President Trump is now backing off in the case against his niece, with both sides saying in a joint letter to the court that they are “pleased to report they have reached a settlement,” according to NOTUS. A status hearing is due Tuesday.
Trump had sued his niece over her role in an expose on his tax filings.
Anna Moneymaker/via REUTERS
Both sides asked the judge to toss the case with prejudice, a step that would bar the president from ever reviving the claim. Neither side has disclosed the financial terms, with a formal dismissal expected in the coming weeks.
The climbdown comes after Trump already lost his case against the Times and its reporters. A New York judge, Justice Robert Reed, in 2023 threw out the case—in which Trump alleged the journalists had “relentlessly sought out” his niece to make her “smuggle” the records to the paper.
Reed ruled their pursuit of the niece sat “at the very core of protected First Amendment activity.” Reed also ordered Trump to pick up the defendants’ legal bills. The journalists behind the story had already claimed a Pulitzer in 2019 for their dig into the family’s finances.
The deal caps a run of Trump strikes at those who exposed his tax dealings. In January, he hit the IRS and the Treasury Department with a $10 billion suit, then dropped it in favor of a contested $1.776 billion “anti-weaponization” fund.
The president tried to use the wider case to have his attorney general, Todd Blanche, set up a slush fund at the Justice Department for his political allies.
Evelyn Hockstein/Reuters
Clinton appointee Leonie Brinkema, a federal judge in Virginia, moved on Friday to freeze that fund indefinitely.
Sign Up for The Swamp Newsletter
By clicking “SUBSCRIBE” you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
The Daily Beast has contacted the White House for comment.
See more of our coverage in your search results.
Got a tip? Send it to The Daily Beast here.
Register below to read this article for free or subscribe
to unlock unlimited access to The Daily Beast.
Monthly
$1
First month then $5.99/month
Annual
$35
First year then $59.99/year
Premium
$79
First year then $119.99/year
*Substack access provided by the next business day, using your subscription email. Choosing the Premium plan constitutes your permission to share your subscription email with Substack and your agreement to Substack’s Privacy Policy.
Already have an account? Sign In
Looks like you already have a subscription!
- Account (completed)
- Payment (completed)
- Confirmation (completed)
You're all set!
Thanks for subscribing.
- 1Account
- 2Payment
- 3Confirmation
Sign in or create an account
Login dialog
Loading comments…