Cybersecurity

Trump fundraiser sues Qatar

by Olivia Beavers 03/26/18 05:17 PM ET

A prominent fundraiser for President Trump filed a lawsuit on Monday alleging the Qatari government carried out a sophisticated disinformation campaign that aimed to tarnish his reputation.

Elliott Broidy claims the Qatari government conducted a “hostile intelligence operation” by hacking into his email accounts, stealing his data and then maliciously leaking the information to the press. Some of the information passed on to the media outlets was forged, he says.

“We believe the evidence is clear that a nation state is waging a sophisticated disinformation campaign against me to silence me, including hacking emails, forging documents, and engaging in espionage and numerous other illegal activities,” Broidy, the Republican National Committee’s deputy finance chairman, said in a statement. {mosads}

“We believe it is also clear that I have been targeted because of my strong political views against Qatar’s state sponsored terrorism and double dealing,” he said.

Broidy, who jointly filed the complaint with his wife Robin Rosenzweig, alleges Doha targeted them because they have publicly condemned the country’s “support for terrorism.”

The Washington Post first reported the suit.

The lawsuit, filed in federal court in Los Angeles, comes after scores of Broidy’s emails and documents were leaked to news organizations. He and his wife are seeking damages to be determined by a court.

In a statement issued by media attache Jassim al-Thani, the Qatar Embassy in Washington D.C. described the lawsuit as political theater.

“Mr. Broidy’s lawsuit is a transparent attempt to divert attention from U.S. media reports about his activities. His lawsuit is without merit or fact,” his statement reads in part. “It is Mr. Broidy, not Qatar, who orchestrated nefarious activities designed to influence Congress and American foreign policy. It does not matter how many venues Mr. Broidy publishes his false accusations in, they will not become truth.”

Some of the leaked materials have propelled him into the spotlight by highlighting ties to an adviser to the United Arab Emirates who is now cooperating with special counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation into Russia’s election interference.

UAE adviser George Nader, a Lebanese-American businessman, worked with Broidy to push Emirati and Saudi interests in the White House, The New York Times reported last week.

The Associated Press reported on Monday that Nader wired $2.5 million to Broidy last April through a company in Canada to help influence the U.S. to take a hard-line stance against Qatar, the UAE’s regional adversary.

Broidy alleges in the lawsuit as well as in a statement to the AP that the Qatari government is coming after him because he has publicly highlighted that Doha not only bankrolled Islamic extremists, but it also spent millions of dollars to hide its ties to terrorists organizations like al Qaeda, Hamas and the Taliban.

“We believe Qatar has engaged in cyberattacks aimed at a U.S. citizen on American soil seemingly because of their perceived political influence and their outspoken opposition to Qatar’s support and sponsorship of terrorists,” Broidy’s lawyer Lee Wolosky said in a statement responding to the lawsuit.

“The Broidys are victims of a sophisticated effort to damage their reputations and relationships. Through this lawsuit, we intend not only to hold the perpetrators accountable for their actions but also to remedy falsehoods that have been disseminated to media organizations regarding Mr. Broidy and Ms. Rosenzweig,” he said.

Updated: 8:36 p.m.