NEW YORK _ I'm not Putin's pal!
Tulsi Gabbard sued Hillary Clinton Wednesday for suggesting that she is a "Russian asset" whose candidacy will only help President Trump win reelection.
"Tulsi seeks to hold Clinton, and the political elites that enable her, accountable for distorting the truth in the middle of a critical presidential election," Gabbard's lawyers wrote in a filing in Manhattan federal court.
Gabbard claimed she has suffered damages of more than $50 million from Clinton's attacks.
Nick Merrill, a spokesman for Clinton, called the suit "ridiculous."
Clinton said in October that she thought Republicans were "grooming" a Russia-friendly Democratic presidential candidate for a third-party bid that could help Trump win reelection.
"I think they've got their eye on somebody who's currently in the Democratic primary and are grooming her to be the third-party candidate," Clinton said.
The former first lady and failed 2016 presidential candidate did not name Gabbard, but she appears to be the only candidate to which Clinton could have been referring.
Gabbard is struggling in ninth place in polls of the Democratic presidential primary field. The Hawaii lawmaker is the only candidate who opposes the impeachment of Trump and she has drawn much of her support from Republicans or the small group of Democrats who support Trump.
