A Partial List of Lawsuits involving Donald Trump

Mark Goulston
6 min readJun 17, 2023

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When will he have time to focus on the problems facing America?

A word of caution to those lawyers who are seduced by the notion of representing Trump and adding that feather to their cap:

  1. Housing Discrimination Lawsuit (1973): The U.S. Department of Justice sued Trump and his father’s real estate company, alleging racial discrimination in their rental practices. The case was settled with a consent decree.
  2. Trump University Lawsuits (2010–2016): Multiple lawsuits were filed against Trump and his now-defunct Trump University, alleging fraud and deceptive business practices. Trump settled the lawsuits for $25 million in 2016.
  3. Trump Taj Mahal Bondholders Lawsuit (1991): Bondholders of Trump’s Taj Mahal casino in Atlantic City sued him when the casino filed for bankruptcy, claiming that Trump had misled investors. The lawsuit was settled, with bondholders receiving reduced payouts.
  4. Trump Plaza Apartment Lawsuit (1983): Trump was sued by tenants of Trump Plaza in New York City for allegedly removing rent-stabilized apartments. The case was settled, with Trump agreeing to provide more affordable housing.
  5. Miss Universe Lawsuit (2002): Trump filed a lawsuit against the Miss Universe Organization after a contestant claimed that the pageant was rigged. The case was dismissed.
  6. Summer Zervos Defamation Lawsuit (2017): Summer Zervos, a former contestant on “The Apprentice,” sued Trump for defamation after he called her and other women accusing him of sexual misconduct liars. The case was ongoing as of my knowledge cutoff date in September 2021.
  7. E. Jean Carroll Defamation Lawsuit (2019): E. Jean Carroll, a writer, sued Trump for defamation after he denied her allegations of sexual assault. The case was ongoing as of my knowledge cutoff date.
  8. Trump Model Management Lawsuits (2014–2017): Trump’s modeling agency, Trump Model Management, faced multiple lawsuits alleging labor exploitation and unfair business practices. The lawsuits were settled or withdrawn.
  9. Trump’s Travel Ban Lawsuits (2017): Trump’s executive orders imposing travel bans on citizens of several Muslim-majority countries faced legal challenges. The lawsuits claimed the ban was discriminatory. The Supreme Court upheld a modified version of the travel ban in 2018.
  10. Emoluments Clause Lawsuits (2017–2019): Multiple lawsuits were filed alleging that Trump violated the Emoluments Clause of the U.S. Constitution by accepting payments from foreign governments through his businesses. Some of the lawsuits were dismissed, while others were ongoing as of my knowledge cutoff.
  11. The New York Attorney General Lawsuit (2018–2019): The New York Attorney General’s office filed a lawsuit against the Donald J. Trump Foundation, alleging misuse of funds for personal and political purposes. The foundation agreed to dissolve and distribute its remaining assets to charitable organizations.
  12. Stormy Daniels Hush Money Lawsuit (2018): Adult film actress Stormy Daniels (real name Stephanie Clifford) sued Trump to invalidate a hush agreement related to an alleged affair. The case was settled, and Trump agreed to pay a $130,000 settlement.
  13. Tax Return Lawsuits (2019): Lawsuits were filed by various parties seeking access to Trump’s tax returns. The cases were ongoing as of my knowledge cutoff.
  14. House of Representatives Lawsuits (2019): The U.S. House of Representatives filed multiple lawsuits seeking access to Trump’s financial records. The cases were ongoing as of my knowledge cutoff.
  15. Trump’s Tax Return Lawsuit (2020–2021): Various lawsuits were filed against Trump by individuals and organizations seeking access to his tax returns. The cases were ongoing as of my knowledge cutoff.
  16. Post-Election Lawsuits (2020): After the 2020 U.S. presidential election, Trump and his campaign filed multiple lawsuits in various states challenging the election results. Many of these lawsuits were dismissed or withdrawn due to lack of evidence.
  17. Dominion Voting Systems Lawsuits (2020–2021): Dominion Voting Systems, a company that provides election technology and equipment, filed defamation lawsuits against Trump’s lawyers and allies who spread false claims of election fraud involving Dominion machines. These lawsuits were ongoing as of my knowledge cutoff.
  18. Capitol Riot Lawsuits (2021): Following the January 6, 2021 attack on the U.S. Capitol, several lawsuits were filed against Trump by individuals and members of Congress. The lawsuits alleged that Trump’s rhetoric and actions incited the violence. These cases were ongoing as of my knowledge cutoff.
  19. National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) Lawsuit (2021): The NAACP filed a lawsuit against Trump, his lawyer Rudy Giuliani, and two extremist groups, alleging that they violated the Ku Klux Klan Act by conspiring to incite the Capitol riot. The lawsuit was ongoing as of my knowledge cutoff.
  20. Twitter and Facebook Lawsuits (2021): After Trump was permanently suspended from Twitter and faced restrictions on Facebook following the Capitol riot, he filed separate class-action lawsuits against both platforms, alleging violations of free speech rights. These cases were ongoing as of my knowledge cutoff.
  21. Mary Trump Inheritance Lawsuit (2020): Mary Trump, the niece of Donald Trump, filed a lawsuit against him and other family members, alleging fraud and seeking to invalidate a nondisclosure agreement. The case was settled in 2021.
  22. Summer Zervos Defamation Lawsuit (2017–2021): Summer Zervos, a former contestant on “The Apprentice,” filed a defamation lawsuit against Trump, accusing him of sexually assaulting her. The case proceeded through various legal stages and was ongoing as of my knowledge cutoff.
  23. El Paso Rally Lawsuit (2021): Following a rally in El Paso, Texas, where Trump made controversial statements about immigrants, a lawsuit was filed against him by a group of Hispanic activists and politicians. The lawsuit accused Trump of inciting a riot and violating the Ku Klux Klan Act. The case was ongoing as of my knowledge cutoff.
  24. Capitol Police Officers Lawsuit (2021): Several Capitol Police officers who were injured during the January 6, 2021 attack on the U.S. Capitol filed a lawsuit against Trump, accusing him of inciting the violence and causing their injuries. The case was ongoing as of my knowledge cutoff.
  25. American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) Lawsuit (2021): The ACLU filed a lawsuit against Trump, his administration, and other government agencies, seeking damages for the harm caused by the family separation policy at the U.S.-Mexico border. The case was ongoing as of my knowledge cutoff.
  26. U.S. Congress Lawsuit (2021): The U.S. House of Representatives filed a lawsuit against Trump, his lawyer Rudy Giuliani, and several extremist groups, alleging that they violated the Voting Rights Act and conspired to prevent the certification of the 2020 election results. The case was ongoing as of my knowledge cutoff.
  27. Manhattan District Attorney Investigation (Ongoing): The Manhattan District Attorney’s office conducted a criminal investigation into Trump’s business dealings and financial records. While not a lawsuit, this ongoing investigation has potential legal implications.
  28. Jean Carroll Defamation Lawsuit (2019–2022): E. Jean Carroll, a writer, sued Trump for defamation after he denied her allegations of sexual assault. The case was ongoing as of my previous response but was dismissed by a federal judge in 2022. An appeal was filed, so the case might continue.
  29. Capitol Riot Lawsuits (2021-ongoing): Multiple lawsuits have been filed against Trump by individuals, lawmakers, and civil rights groups, alleging that his actions and rhetoric incited the January 6, 2021 attack on the U.S. Capitol. These lawsuits seek damages and accountability for the violence.
  30. Inauguration Funds Lawsuit (2021-ongoing): The Attorney General for the District of Columbia filed a lawsuit against Trump’s inaugural committee, alleging misuse of funds and violations of nonprofit laws. The case seeks to recover funds for charitable purposes.
  31. Cyrus Vance Investigation (Ongoing): The Manhattan District Attorney’s office has been conducting a criminal investigation into Trump’s finances, including potential tax and insurance fraud. While not a lawsuit, this investigation may lead to legal actions.
  32. Georgia Election Phone Call Lawsuit (2021): Trump faced a lawsuit filed by an election official in Georgia who alleged that Trump violated state law by pressuring him to “find” enough votes to overturn the election results. The case was dismissed in 2021.
  33. National Security Archive Lawsuit (2019-ongoing): The National Security Archive, a nonprofit organization, filed a lawsuit against multiple federal agencies, including the Trump administration, seeking the preservation of presidential records, particularly regarding conversations with foreign leaders.
  34. The Washington Post Lawsuit (2020): The Trump campaign filed a defamation lawsuit against The Washington Post, alleging that the newspaper published false and defamatory statements regarding Russian election interference. The case was voluntarily dismissed in 2020.

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Mark Goulston
Mark Goulston

Written by Mark Goulston

Dr. Goulston is the world's #1 listening coach and author of "Just Listen" which became the top book on listening in the world

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