Trump can be sued over the January 6, 2021 riot at the U.S. c a federal court ruled on Friday.
Former President Donald Trump can be sued for inciting the January 6, 2021, riot at the United States Capitol building, a federal appeals court ruled on Friday.
Trump faces three lawsuits filed by Capitol police officers and members of Congress over the Jan. 6 riot, when a group of his supporters violently protested the 2020 election results in a failed effort to block certification of then-President-elect Joe Biden’s Electoral College victory. Lawsuits allege that Trump’s claims of widespread election fraud, which have not been substantiated, as well as his speech at the infamous « Stop the Steal » rally earlier that day, helped incite the riot.
Trump’s attorneys have argued his presidential immunity protects him from liability, arguing that his words involved « matters of public concern, » the Associated Press reported. But a federal court on Friday declined to dismiss the lawsuits on that basis.
The three-judge panel noted, however, the ruling was not the final word on whether Trump’s presidential immunity applies to the case and does reflect « no view on the ultimate merits of the claims, » according to the Associated Press.
