The lawsuit filed by Brian Davis against Bank of America regarding his attempted purchase of the Washington Commanders has faced skepticism from Federal Judge Deborah L. Boardman. The judge has expressed suspicions about the validity of Davis’ legal claims, which began with a lawsuit seeking $999,000 in damages. This amount is significantly reduced from the initial $500 billion figure stated in the federal docket system.
In an order issued on Wednesday, Judge Boardman stated that Davis’ court filings failed to clearly demonstrate immediate and irreparable harm. She also stated that she will not rule on the necessity of a hearing for an injunction until Bank of America responds to the lawsuit.
The lawsuit alleges that The Washington Post knowingly published false articles with the intent to harm TMTG’s business. It also claims that The Post conspired with a former TMTG employee who provided documents to create a fraudulent narrative about securities fraud.
The article in question, titled “Trust linked to porn-friendly bank could gain a stake in Trump’s Truth Social,” allegedly made false claims regarding the bank ES Family Trust’s potential acquisition of a stake in TMTG. The article also mentioned an alleged payment of a $240,000 finder’s fee by Trump’s company to the ES Family Trust for arranging an $8 million loan deal, which TMTG denies.
The sale of the Commanders to a group led by Josh Harris for $6.05 billion has already been finalized, and it is expected to be approved by NFL owners in the near future. Legal experts have noted that it is unlikely that Davis’ lawsuit will impact the sale, as private entities like the NFL and Dan Snyder, the current owner, are not obligated to consider or accept any specific bid.
Bank of America is anticipated to file a motion to dismiss the case soon, with legal and financial experts expressing doubt about the lawsuit and the sources of funds mentioned in Davis’ legal claims. The lawsuit has also faced questions about Davis’ access to billions of dollars and the purpose of the bank transfers.
It remains unclear where Davis’ money originated from, as conflicting information has been provided. While the lawsuit is unlikely to hinder the Commanders’ sale, Harris may need to sign an agreement with Bank of America to cover any potential judgment or settlement resulting from the lawsuit.
Judge Boardman has scheduled a call-in status conference for Friday to further address the case.
