Ramaswamy sues DOJ, files fresh records request for Trump indictment details

Republican presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy on Tuesday announced he’s suing the Department of Justice (DOJ) and filing a new Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) records request for more details about the recent indictments of former President Trump. 

"My aim in bringing this lawsuit is to finally deliver accountability and transparency: what did Biden and his cronies tell [Attorney General Merrick] Garland and what did Garland and the deep-staters who put him in as Attorney General tell [special counsel] Jack Smith,” Ramaswamy said in a statement shared by his campaign. 

Trump was indicted Tuesday by a Washington grand jury on charges, including conspiracy to defraud the U.S., related to his efforts to remain in power after losing his 2020 reelection bid to President Biden.

“Despite having lost, the Defendant [Trump] was determined to remain in power. So for more than two months following election day on November 3, 2020, the Defendant spread lies that there had been outcome-determinative fraud in the election and that he had actually won,” the indictment states.

Ramaswamy, who’s running against Trump for the GOP nomination, said the indictments against Trump “selectively omit relevant facts and law” and argued “the corrupt federal police won’t stop until they’ve achieved their mission: eliminate Trump.” 

According to the new filing, Ramaswamy's campaign submitted a FOIA request in June seeking "documents and records in DOJ’s possession related to the decision to bring a federal criminal indictment" against Trump, after the former president was indicted on charges related to his handling of classified materials, following a separate DOJ investigation.

"The Campaign accordingly brings this suit to compel DOJ to immediately respond
to the Campaign’s FOIA request and promptly disclose all responsive, non-exempt records," the complaint reads. Ramaswamy's team said he's also filing a new FOIA request for similar communications related to the new Jan. 6 indictment.

Ramaswamy argued that Trump “isn’t the real cause for what happened on Jan. 6,” and that the cause was instead “systematic and pervasive censorship of citizens” ahead of the riot. 

Ramaswamy in his statement also restated his promise to pardon the former president if he’s elected to the Oval Office. The White House contender has previously said it “would be easier" if Trump were eliminated from the 2024 GOP running, but has said he's defending the former president on principle.

The latest indictment marks the third time this year that criminal charges have been brought against the former president, even as he campaigns for another four years in the White House.