A lawyer that represented Donald Trump during his second impeachment trial is reportedly now representing one of the rioters that stormed the Capitol on January 6. According to The Huffington Post, Michael T. van der Veen is set to be the attorney for a man associated with the far-right extremist group the Oath Keepers. The group was one of several extremist organizations present during the Capitol riot that left five people dead.
Van der Veen’s newest client, Jason Dolan, is a 44-year-old from Wellington, Florida, who faces four federal charges in connection with his alleged role in the Capitol breach.
Federal law enforcement agencies accused Dolan of renting a car, driving to Washington, D.C. with another defendant, and was a part of the group of Oath Keepers who forcibly entered the Capitol from the east steps.
Donald Trump was impeached for a second time following the riot after lawmakers accused the former president of inciting the insurrection. For months, Trump and his loyalists peddled false claims that the November election was rigged, prompting his followers and extremists to carry out the January 6 attack while Congress certified the results of the election. In the aftermath, access to the ballot has been threatened for millions of voters, particularly Black, Latino, Indigenous and low income voters, as Republicans sponsor hundreds of bills imposing restrictions on voting.
Republicans recently shot down a vote that would have established a bipartisan commission to investigate what led up to the riot. Dozens of people, like Dolan, have been identified, arrested, and charged for their role in the insurrection, though without the commission the extent of investigation and consequences may be uncertain.
Get the latest news 24/7 on The Black Information Network. Listen now on theiHeartRadio appor clickHEREto tune in live.
Photo Credit: Getty Images