Former Trump Aide Michael Caputo Alleges "Privatized DOJ Lawfare" Amid New Lawsuit

Former Trump staffer Michael Caputo is facing a $100,000 lawsuit over a contract dispute, but he alleges the case is a politically motivated continuation of the "Russiagate" investigations that have plagued him for a decade. Caputo, who previously served as a spokesman for the Department of Health and Human Services, claims the lawsuit filed by Jack Korba, a former DOJ prosecutor, is an example of "privatized DOJ lawfare" designed to impact the upcoming midterm elections.

Korba, now in private practice, is representing Gilbert Hyatt, an 88-year-old inventor who hired Caputo's public relations firm to lobby the White House for the establishment of a "Pioneering AI Foundation." Hyatt is suing Caputo for breach of contract and fraud. However, Caputo asserts that Korba's complaint, filed on September 8, is packed with unsubstantiated claims that echo elements of the Justice Department's "Russiagate" probe.

Caputo detailed his experience in an opinion piece, stating that he endured a decade of legal battles that he claims led to stress-induced cancer. He alleges that Korba, whom he likens to Captain Ahab from "Moby Dick," is "obsessed" with him and has "privatized his Russia fantasy" that he could not prove as a federal prosecutor. Caputo stated that his family is deeply distressed by the renewed legal targeting.

In response, Caputo has filed an ethics complaint against Korba with the DC Office of Disciplinary Counsel. He alleges that Korba has a conflict of interest stemming from his time in the DOJ, suggesting the lawyer used information gleaned from the previous investigation into Caputo. Caputo also raised concerns about the elderly Hyatt's "capacity to understand, evaluate, and direct this lawsuit."

Caputo was reportedly investigated by the FBI in 2021 for alleged foreign agent violations related to a documentary he produced about the impeachment of former President Donald Trump. While the FBI obtained content from his Google accounts, he was never charged, and the case was closed in December. He was also identified as a "conduit" of Russian disinformation in the FBI's declassified "Round River" operation, which investigated allegations concerning Hunter Biden. This operation reportedly worked to discredit reports about the Bidens and Ukraine as Russian disinformation.

Caputo warns that his case could be the first of many instances of "privatized DOJ lawfare" and contends that these actions are being amplified just before the midterm elections, describing the "Russia hoax" as a "vampire that refuses to die."