Seven Capitol Police Officers, five of whom are Black, have filed a lawsuit against former reality show host Donald Trump, political consultant Roger Stone and several far-right-wing groups for their role in the Capitol Hill Riots. Filed on behalf of the officers by the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law, the lawsuit alleges Trump worked with far-right groups and leaders to engage in acts of domestic terrorism that would keep him in political office longer. Adding on, the lawsuit claims that Trump's rhetoric fueled the violence displayed by criminals at the U.S. Capitol in January.
“As this lawsuit makes clear, the Jan. 6 insurrection was not just an attack on individuals, but an attack on democracy itself. It was a blatant attempt to stifle the votes and voices of millions of Americans, particularly Black voters,” Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law President Damon Hewitt wrote in a press statement released earlier today.
“For months after the 2020 election had been officially called, former President Trump and his associates made coordinated and systematic attempts to lodge their false claims of election fraud, targeted toward major cities with significant populations of voters of color. The lies of this conspiracy intentionally energized white supremacists and violent extremist groups and actively encouraged them to coordinate the violent attack on the Capitol. These actions put our clients in harm’s way to defend the votes and voices the conspiracy was intended to silence.”
Together, the seven plaintiffs have amassed over 150 years of collective service involving members of Congress. However, they say they have never endured the type of physical and mental abuse that arrived on January 6.
“We joined the Capitol Police to uphold the law and protect the Capitol community. On Jan. 6 we tried to stop people from breaking the law and destroying our democracy. Since then our jobs and those of our colleagues have become infinitely more dangerous," the seven plaintiffs explained in a joint statement.
"We want to do what we can to make sure the people who did this are held accountable and that no one can do this again.”
Former President Donald Trump nor political consultant Roger Stone have issued a comment regarding this lawsuit.
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