Judge allows Capitol Police officers’ civil lawsuit against Trump and January 6 rioters to proceed
By Tierney Sneed, CNN
A federal judge has allowed another civil lawsuit against former President Donald Trump for the January 6, 2021, attack on the US Capitol to proceed.
US District Judge Amit Mehta on Thursday denied a request by Trump — and several far-right activists who were also sued for their connection to the Capitol siege — to toss the case out.
The suit was brought by US Capitol Police officers who claim Trump and others violated both federal and Washington, DC, law for conduct linked to the riot that interrupted Congress’ certification of the 2020 election.
In keeping the claims against Trump alive, Mehta pointed to an opinion he wrote last year rejecting claims of immunity Trump raised to challenge similar January 6 lawsuits against him.
Mehta, who sits on DC’s federal court, said in a Thursday opinion that the Capitol Police officers’ lawsuit could also move forward against several other individuals as well, including members of far-right militia groups such as the Oath Keepers, Three Percenters and the Proud Boys.
Mehta, however, is dismissing the police officers’ case against far-right figures Roger Stone and Ali Alexander.
The judge said the alleged conduct by Stone and Alexander that was singled out in the lawsuit is protected by the First Amendment.
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