LOS ANGELES -- The U.S. Department of Justice on Monday sued

Los Angeles Clippers owner and real estate mogul Donald Sterling

for housing discrimination, claiming he refused to rent apartments

to blacks and families with children.

Federal prosecutors contend that Sterling, his wife, Rochelle,

and their family trust refused to rent to many prospective tenants,

treated them poorly and misrepresented the availability of

apartments to them in the city's Koreatown section.

The defendants also are accused of refusing to rent to black

prospective tenants in Beverly Hills as well as families with

children looking to rent apartments that the defendants owned or

managed in Los Angeles County.

"Here in Los Angeles, where housing is already at a premium, it

is imperative that no one be denied housing simply because of their

skin color, ethnic background or because they have children," said

U.S. Attorney Debra Wong Yang.

A message left with attorney Michael Kennick, who has

represented Sterling in previous lawsuits, was not immediately

returned Monday.

Claiming violations of the federal Fair Housing Act, the lawsuit

seeks an end to "discriminating on account of race, national

origin and familial status," plus unspecified monetary damages and

penalties. The lawsuit also names as defendants the Sterling Family

Trust and the Korean Land Company, which owns multifamily rental

properties throughout the county.

In November, a federal judge ordered Sterling to pay nearly $5

million in fees to plaintiffs' attorneys in a lawsuit accusing him

of discriminating against black and Hispanic tenants.

The case -- filed by attorneys including the nonprofit Housing

Rights Center for 19 plaintiffs -- resolved with a financial

settlement that the judge described as "one of the largest ever

obtained in this type of case," though the terms were not

disclosed.

The 2003 lawsuit alleged that Sterling tried to drive out

tenants, particularly blacks and Hispanics, at apartments he owned

in Koreatown.