WASHINGTON (AP) – In a highly unusual campaign dispute, Donald Trump is seeking $10 million in damages from his former political consultant Sam Nunberg, arguing Nunberg violated the nondisclosure agreement nearly every Trump employee is required to sign.
Trump alleges Nunberg leaked confidential information to reporters. Nunberg, in a court filing obtained by The Associated Press, contends Trump is trying to silence him “in a misguided attempt to cover up media coverage of an apparent affair” between two senior campaign staffers.
Trump’s decision to take legal action against a fired staffer in the midst of a presidential race is part of the businessman’s pattern of aggressively protecting the secrecy of his campaign, companies and family. The AP reported last month that nearly every Trump employee – both in the campaign and his businesses – must sign legally binding nondisclosure agreements prohibiting them from releasing any confidential or disparaging information about the real estate mogul, his family or his companies.
Nunberg’s filing comes at a crucial political moment for Trump. He’s on the verge of picking his running mate and is preparing for next week’s Republican convention, one of his highest profile opportunities to reach voters and ease the concerns of GOP leaders who are concerned about his unconventional candidacy.
In the court filings, Nunberg denied disparaging Trump and accused the presumptive GOP nominee of attempting to “bully” him into silence after Nunberg decided to publicly support Texas Sen. Ted Cruz’s presidential bid.