House impeachment manager Eric Swalwell has filed a lawsuit against former President Donald Trump for his alleged role in the Capitol riot on January 6th.
Swalwell (D-CA) becomes the second Democrat lawmaker to sue Trump for inciting the riot.
The suit also names Donald Trump Jr., Rudy Giuliani, and Rep. Mo Brooks (R-AL) as co-conspirators.
“The Defendants … convinced the mob that something was occurring that – if actually true – might indeed justify violence, and then sent that mob to the Capitol with violence-laced calls for immediate action,” the lawsuit alleges.
It also makes the incredibly specious claim that Trump “directly incited the violence at the Capitol.”
Even CNN seems skeptical of the chances for Swalwell succeeding, saying the lawsuit “could bump up against free speech protections for speakers at the rally” as well as immunity protections afforded a person who was serving as President at the time.
Today, I filed a civil claim against Donald Trump, Donald Trump Jr., Rudolph Giuliani, and Rep. Mo Brooks for inciting an attack against the Capitol that terrorized lawmakers and prevented us from certifying the votes of the American people.
My statement: pic.twitter.com/3BkbvX8WHe
— Eric Swalwell (@ericswalwell) March 5, 2021
RELATED: Dem Congressman Files Lawsuit Against Trump For His Alleged Role In Capitol Riot
Swalwell’s Lawsuit Cites the 1871 Ku Klux Klan Act
Representative Swalwell’s lawsuit references the 1871 Ku Klux Klan Act which was passed in an effort to address, obviously, the KKK.
It prohibits violence or intimidation meant to prevent members of Congress or other federal officials from carrying out their constitutional duties.
Both the new lawsuit and one filed by Representative Bennie Thompson, the Democratic chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee last month, cite the Act.
“[Trump’s] gleeful support of violent white supremacists led to a breach of the Capitol that put my life, and that of my colleagues, in grave danger,” Thompson said at the time of his filing.
“It is by the slimmest of luck that the outcome was not deadlier.”
New: Rep. Bennie Thompson filed a lawsuit in federal court today against Trump, Giuliani, the Proud Boys, and the Oath Keepers alleging they conspired to interfere with Congress’s certification of the election, in violation of the Ku Klux Klan Act https://t.co/suhMsNVyii pic.twitter.com/BIuEAMB0PH
— Zoe Tillman (@ZoeTillman) February 16, 2021
Trump Spokesman Responds
Jason Miller, a Trump adviser, blasted Swalwell as a “low-life” with “no credibility.”
“Now, after failing miserably with two impeachment hoaxes,” Swalwell is attacking the President with yet another witch hunt,” Miller said.
Miller then took a jab at the California Democrat over his reported association with a Chinese spy.
“It’s a disgrace that a compromised Member of Congress like Swalwell still sits on the House Intelligence Committee,” he said.
A bombshell Axios report in December indicated that a woman by the name of Christine Fang “took part in fundraising activity for Swalwell’s 2014 re-election campaign” and that she interacted with the Congressman “at multiple events over the course of several years.”
Fang had served as a Chinese Intelligence operative with China’s Ministry of State Security.
Tucker Carlson says that “U.S. Intelligence officials believe” that a suspected Chinese spy “had a sexual relationship with” Democrat Rep. Eric Swalwell (CA) and that Swalwell’s office couldn’t comment on it because they said that info might be “classified”pic.twitter.com/biV78uVZHB
— Ryan Saavedra (@RealSaavedra) December 9, 2020
Swalwell’s lawsuit goes on to allege that Trump “made clear he poses a risk of inciting future political violence.”
Brooks, also named in the litigation, blasted the effort as “frivolous.”
“Under no circumstances will Swalwell, or any other Socialist, stop me from fighting for America,” he insisted.
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