And that, of course, is easier said than done. Thanks to a legal doctrine known as foreign-sovereign immunity, it’s nearly impossible, except in cases of terrorism, to sue another nation (to say nothing of its military) in a United States court. Likewise, WikiLeaks and its leader, Julian Assange (who is currently still holed up in the Ecuadorian embassy in London), maintain only shadowy presences in the United States; it will be difficult for the plaintiffs in the case to serve these defendants and force them to appear in the Manhattan federal court where the case was brought. But several other defendants will undoubtedly be forced to answer the charges. These include, most notably, representatives of the Trump campaign and Kushner and Donald Trump, Jr. These defendants will certainly ask that the charges be thrown out, arguing that they have no connection to the hacking that is at the core of the case. But candidate Trump’s own comments —“I love WikiLeaks!” or “Russia, if you’re listening, I hope you’re able to find the thirty thousand e-mails that are missing”—may suggest enough of a connection for the judge to let the case to proceed to discovery. (The D.N.C. suit is a civil action, so it will not result in any criminal liability.) And that may be the point of the whole enterprise.

To date, the victims of Russian hacking, and the Democratic Party generally, have had to wait for others to investigate this seminal series of events in the campaign. Robert Mueller, the special counsel, is conducting a thorough investigation, but he’s operating in secret, and it’s not clear when, or if, the results of his probe will be made public. The investigation in the House of Representatives degenerated into partisan acrimony, and the one in the Senate is more focussed on legislative fixes than on extensive fact-finding. The news media have been aggressive, but reporters lack subpoena power. If the D.N.C. lawsuit is allowed to proceed to discovery, it will be the first chance for compelled, sworn interviews with many of the key players, including, perhaps, the President himself. (Based on what the plaintiffs learn, Trump may be added as a defendant.) Plus, the D.N.C. lawyers will have the chance to obtain e-mails and documents from the Trump campaign that may illuminate any connections between the campaign and the Russians.