Lawyer for President Trump threatens to sue CNN for biased reporting, seeks 'substantial payment'

An attorney representing President Donald Trump and the 2020 Trump campaign has sent a letter to CNN leadership, notifying the executives that his clients intend to sue the network for "highly biased" reporting against the president — making it clear that they are seeking "a substantial payment of damages."

What are the details?

"Recently released footage of individuals alleged to be your employees indicates that your reporting relating to President Trump is contrary to your own mission and the [Society for Professional Journalists'] Code of Ethics," Trump attorney Charles Harder wrote to CNN President Jeffrey Zucker and Executive Vice President David Vigilante.

Harder listed a litany of examples of CNN employees purportedly admitting that the network is biased against the president and his campaign, citing footage recently released by Project Veritas — a group known for using secretly recorded videos to expose alleged corruption.

Harder also accused CNN of breaking the law, writing, "Your actions are in violation of the Lanham Act, among other applicable laws, by constituting misrepresentations to the public, your advertisers, and others."

The litigator added, "my clients intend to file legal actions against you, to seek compensatory damages, treble damages, punitive damages, injunctive relief, reimbursement of legal costs, and all other available legal and equitable remedies, to the maximum extent of the law."

Mr. Harder then asked Zucker and Vigilante to get in touch with him, in order "to discuss an appropriate resolution of this matter, which would include a substantial payment of damages."

According to Variety, CNN issued a statement saying of the letter, "This is nothing more than a desperate PR stunt and doesn't merit a response."

Anything else?

Harder has threatened to sue other news outlets for President Trump in the past. Reuters reported that the attorney "suggested Trump would take legal action against the New York Times" last year, and "also threatened a libel suit" over author Michael Wolff's book, "Fire and Fury: Inside the Trump White House."