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Donald Trump, former President of the USA
Photo: SHANNON STAPLETON / REUTERS
Former US President Donald Trump has filed a lawsuit against the newspaper and his niece Mary Trump over the New York Times revelations about his finances.
He accuses them of "sneaky conspiracy" to get his tax returns, according to a complaint filed in a New York state court.
The "New York Times" reporters Susanne Craig, David Barstow and Russ Buettner led a "crusade" in order to obtain confidential documents of the former president.
Their motive was revenge.
The »New York Times« journalists were awarded the renowned Pulitzer Prize in 2019 for their 18-month research and subsequent series of articles on the Trump business empire.
The jury said at the time that the reporters had, among other things, refuted Trump's claim that he had earned his wealth on his own.
They also showed that the Trump corporate empire was "peppered with tax avoidance tricks".
The reporters had revealed, among other things, that Trump had received more than $ 400 million from his father over the years.
The money is said to have partly flowed through a front company in order to avoid taxes.
Trump is said to have helped his parents, who died in 1999 and 2000, to reduce their real estate property and thus save taxes.
Mary Trump as the main source of the "New York Times"
Mary Trump is the daughter of the ex-president's older brother, Fred Trump Jr., who died in 1981 as a result of his alcohol addiction.
In her book about her family, published in July 2020, she stated that she was the main source for the New York Times revelations.
Trump's attorneys argue that by disclosing the information, his niece violated a nondisclosure agreement she signed in 2001 following a settlement over the estate of Donald Trump's father, Fred Trump Sr.
The former president is demanding $ 100 million in compensation and damages, as well as all proceeds from his niece's book.
Trump had refused to publish his tax returns throughout his tenure.
He was the first US president since Richard Nixon to keep his finances secret.
The Trump Organization - the real estate empire of the former US President - is currently under investigation in New York on suspicion of tax fraud.
Mary Trump and "New York Times" reject allegations
Mary Trump described her uncle as a "loser" in a statement.
Trump is desperate and will try "as always" to change the subject, she said, according to NBC.
The New York Times rejected Trump's allegations.
Through the careful research, the population was informed about a topic of "overriding public interest," said a spokeswoman for the newspaper.
"This lawsuit is an attempt to silence independent news organizations, and we will vigorously oppose it."
lau / AFP
