A group linked to David Brock, a longtime Clinton ally and founder of the left-wing Media Matters for America, has filed another lawsuit against President Donald Trump on Thursday accusing the president of violating federal records law.
The organization teamed up with a nonprofit funded by liberal billionaire George Soros for the lawsuit.
The Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW), a D.C.-based government "watchdog" group, and the National Security Archive, a research group at the George Washington University, filed the suit in the United States Court for the District of Columbia, Politico reported.
The lawsuit claims that Trump and his administration is violating the Presidential Records Act, an act requiring the retention of communication records in the White House.
"First, this suit challenges as contrary to law the Defendants' communications practices that knowingly prevent the proper preservation of records the Defendants generate or receive when carrying out the President's constitutional, statutory, or other official duties," the lawsuit states. "Second, Plaintiffs challenge the Defendants' usurpation of agency duties and responsibilities by consolidating power in the White House. As decisions generated by the White House, Executive Orders are cloaked in secrecy, preventing federal agencies from complying with their statutory duties under the Federal Records Act ('FRA'), the Administrative Procedure Act ('APA'), and the Freedom of Information Act ('FOIA')."
David Brock, a liberal activist and close ally of the Clintons, was CREW's vice chair until 2016 when he left the group so his name would not hurt its "nonpartisan" label.
"Due to my stepped up political activities in the American Bridge opposition research super PAC, I decided to step off CREW's board to ensure its public reputation for non-partisanship," Brock said at the time of his departure. "I'm very proud of the work CREW has accomplished during my two years on board, and its work is more relevant now than ever."
One month after stepping down from the board of CREW, Brock held a donor retreat at the posh Turnberry Isle Resort in Aventura, Fla. with more than 100 deep-pocketed liberal activists.
The Washington Free Beacon attended the conference and obtained a copy of a private and confidential memo detailing how his organizations, which include Media Matters for America, Shareblue, and the American Bridge PAC, will attack Trump.
The memo, which features plans such as defeating Trump through impeachment, contained an entire section devoted to CREW despite Brock having "decided to step off CREW's board" one month prior to the gathering.
"CREW will be the leading nonpartisan ethics watchdog group in a period of crisis with a President and administration that present possible conflicts of interest and ethical problems on an unprecedented scale," the memo states. "CREW will demand ethical conduct from the administration and all parts of government, expose improper influence from powerful interests, and ensure accountability when the administration and others shirk ethical standards, rules and laws."
Under its legal complaints and litigation portion, Brock's memo talks of CREW using "cutting-edge litigation" and expanded legal team to file complaints and lawsuits.
"Already, top law firms and talented lawyers across the country, with specialties including civil litigation and FOIA, are volunteering to help with the effort."
The memo additionally states how CREW will partner with reporters to "move major stories forward."
CREW filed the first major lawsuit against the Trump in January. A lawyer from the group is also aiding a lawsuit that was filed last month against Trump by the attorneys general of Maryland and Washington, D.C.
The National Security Archive, the second group involved with the lawsuit, has received funding from a number of liberal foundations including the George Soros' Open Society Institute and Open Society Fund, Inc. The two groups previously teamed up to sue for email records during George W. Bush's time in office.
CREW did not return a request for comment by press time.