CREW sues the DOJ for records on Trump’s $230 million FTCA claim

CREW is suing the Department of Justice (DOJ) for failing to produce records in response to CREW’s Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request seeking records about Federal Tort Claims Act (FTCA) claims filed by President Trump, including claims in which he reportedly seeks $230 million in damages from the federal government.

Trump’s FTCA claims were filed after multiple criminal investigations by the DOJ and FBI into his mishandling of classified information and his role in inciting a violent mob to attack the United States Capitol on January 6, 2021, in an effort to stop the constitutionally mandated transfer of presidential power following the 2020 election.  These investigations led two grand juries to find probable cause for indictments, charging President Trump with 44 criminal counts.

Before his re-election, as a private citizen, President Trump reportedly submitted two FTCA complaints to the DOJ seeking approximately $230 million in damages for alleged violations of his rights during investigations into his conduct and his federal criminal prosecution. 

Now, as president of the United States, Trump oversees the DOJ and has appointed its senior leadership, including the officials responsible for reviewing and potentially approving his administrative claims. This creates an unprecedented and unavoidable conflict of interest, as his entitlement to a large taxpayer-funded payment will be evaluated by his own administration, which includes his former personal attorney. 

On November 18, 2025, CREW submitted an expedited FOIA request to the DOJ Civil Division seeking records of President Trump’s administrative claims for relief under the FTCA, as well as copies of any final approvals, denials or requests for reconsideration of any claim filed by or on behalf of the president.  

CREW has received no response to its email and no other correspondence from the Civil Division regarding its November 18, 2025 FOIA request.

The court should order the DOJ to process CREW’s FOIA request and to do so expeditiously. The American people deserve answers about how their tax dollars may be spent, and whether potential conflicts of interest are being addressed.