U.S. judge tosses Democratic Party lawsuit against Trump campaign, Russia over election

FILE PHOTO: Democratic National Commitee (DNC) Chairman Tom Perez reacts to the results of the U.S. midterm elections as he speaks at a Democratic party election night rally in Washington, U.S. November 6, 2018. REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst

(Reuters) - A U.S. judge on Tuesday dismissed a Democratic Party lawsuit arguing that the Russian government, President Donald Trump’s campaign and WikiLeaks carried out a conspiracy to influence the 2016 U.S. election.

U.S. District Judge John Koeltl in Manhattan said he could not hear the claims against Russia, which were the focus of the case, because of a legal doctrine called sovereign immunity that shields foreign governments from litigation in the United States.