Unpacking The DNC Lawsuit

With Meghna Chakrabarti

The Democratic Party sues Russia, the Trump campaign and WikiLeaks, alleging a conspiracy to influence the 2016 election. We'll take a look at what's inside the lawsuit.

Guests: 

Rosalind Helderman, political enterprise and investigations reporter for The Washington Post. (@PostRoz)

Philip Wegmann, commentary writer Washington Examiner. (@PhilipWegmann)

Kimberly Atkins, Washington bureau chief and columnist for the Boston Herald. (@KimberlyEAtkins)

From The Reading List: 

Washington Post: Democratic Party files lawsuit alleging Russia, the Trump campaign and WikiLeaks conspired to disrupt the 2016 campaign -- "The complaint, filed in federal district court in Manhattan, alleges that top Trump campaign officials conspired with the Russian government and its military spy agency to hurt Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton and help Trump by hacking the computer networks of the Democratic Party and disseminating stolen material found there. 'During the 2016 presidential campaign, Russia launched an all-out assault on our democracy, and it found a willing and active partner in Donald Trump’s campaign,' DNC Chairman Tom Perez said in a statement."

Boston Globe: Read the full DNC lawsuit filed against Russia, the Trump campaign, and Wikileaks

“An act of unprecedented treachery…an all-out assault on our democracy.” That’s the dramatic language the Democratic National Committee uses to justify its new federal lawsuit against the Trump campaign, WikiLeaks, and the Russian government. They allege a conspiracy to tilt the 2016 election. But why push the matter into the courts now, especially as the Mueller investigation is still ongoing? Some Democrats, however, are calling the suit a “silly distraction.” And they’re looking ahead to tough fights in the 2018 midterms.

This hour, On Point: Stunt, or savvy move – the DNC sues the Trump campaign. Plus, we'll preview Trump's travel ban case as it heads to the Supreme Court.

-- Meghna Chakrabarti