WASHINGTON (AP) – Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump is seeking $10 million in damages from former senior campaign consultant Sam Nunberg, alleging that Nunberg leaked confidential information to reporters in violation of a nondisclosure agreement.
In a court filing obtained by The Associated Press, Nunberg accused Trump of trying to silence him “in a misguided attempt to cover up media coverage of an apparent affair” between two senior campaign staffers.
Such a legal dispute is highly unusual for a presidential candidate. It reflects Trump’s efforts to aggressively protect the secrecy of his campaign’s inner workings, as he has for years fought to protect the secrecy of his businesses and family.
The AP reported last month that Trump requires nearly everyone in his campaign and businesses to sign legally binding nondisclosure agreements prohibiting them from releasing any confidential or disparaging information about the real estate mogul, his family or his companies. Trump has also said he would consider requiring such agreements in the White House.
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.