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DOJ sues Omarosa Maginault Newman for failure to file financial disclosure
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DOJ sues Omarosa Maginault Newman for failure to file financial disclosure

The former Trump aide says the civil suit is nothing more than 'political retribution'

Former White House aide Omarosa Manigault Newman has been hit with a civil suit by the Justice Department, alleging she failed to file a required financial disclosure upon her departure from the Trump administration.

What are the details?

The complaint accuses the former aide of violating the Ethics in Government Act by "knowingly and willfully failing to file the required public financial disclosure" after she left her position as the director of communications for the Office of Public Liaison in the White House in 2017.

The DOJ claims it has made "numerous attempts to obtain her compliance," and is asking the court to require Manigault Newman to file the paperwork. The lawsuit further asks the court to impose a fine of up to $50,000 against the former Trump aide.

Manigault Newman's attorney, John M. Phillips, said the suit was "yet another attempt to silence a dissenting voice" and accused the White House of using "the Department of Justice to carry out retaliation" against his client, The Washington Post reported.

The former reality show star blamed the Trump administration for the delayed filing, claiming the White House was still holding on to the possessions she left behind when she was terminated.

According to Politico, Manigault Newman issued a statement saying, "Since my departure from the White House in 2017, I have attempted to get back my six boxes of personal items, which included financial records needed for this report."

She added, "The White House has admitted that they have my things...and yet refuse to return these items...This lawsuit as well as the arbitration is political retribution from the White House, plain and simple."

Anything else?

Manigault Newman — often referred to simply by her first name — became somewhat of a celebrity after playing a villain on President Donald Trump's former reality show, "The Apprentice." Omarosa campaigned for the president ahead of his election, and was hired early on in the administration after he took office.

After leaving her position at the White House, Manigault Newman wrote a book criticizing the Trump administration and made several media appearances to promote it. The White House said after its release that the book, "Unhinged: An Insider's Account of the Trump White House," made several false claims.

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