Former American President Donald Trump has filed a lawsuit against the newspaper and his niece, Mary Trump, over the New York Times revelations about his finances.

He accuses them of “sneaky conspiracy” to obtain his tax returns, according to a complaint filed in a court in New York state.

The New York Times reporters Susanne Craig, David Barstow and Russ Buettner waged a “crusade” to gain access to confidential documents of the former president.

Their motive was revenge.

The journalists were awarded the prestigious Pulitzer Prize in 2019 for their 18-month research and subsequent series of articles on the Trump business empire.

The jury said at the time that the reporters had, among other things, refuted Trump's claim that he had earned his wealth on his own.

They had also shown that the Trump corporate empire was "peppered with tax avoidance tricks".

The reporters revealed, among other things, that Trump had received more than $ 400 million from his father over the years.

The money is said to have partly flowed through a front company in order to avoid taxes.

Trump is said to have helped his parents, who died in 1999 and 2000, to reduce their real estate property and thus save taxes.

Mary Trump is the daughter of the older brother of the former president, Fred Trump Jr., who died in 1981 of complications from alcohol addiction.

In her book about her family, published in July 2020, she had stated that she was the main source for the New York Times revelations.

Trump demands all proceeds from his niece's book

Trump's attorneys argue that by disclosing the information, his niece violated a nondisclosure agreement she signed in 2001 following a settlement over the estate of Donald Trump's father, Fred Trump Sr.

The former president is demanding $ 100 million in compensation and damages, as well as all proceeds from his niece's book.

Trump had refused to publish his tax returns throughout his tenure.

He was the first American president since Richard Nixon to keep his finances secret.

The Trump Organization - the real estate empire of the former US President - is currently under investigation in New York on suspicion of tax fraud.

Mary Trump described her uncle as a "loser" in a statement.

Trump is desperate and will try "as always" to change the subject, she said, according to NBC.

The New York Times rejected Trump's allegations. Through the careful research, the population was informed about a topic of "overriding public interest," said a spokeswoman for the newspaper. "This lawsuit is an attempt to silence independent news organizations and we will vigorously oppose it."