'unlawful effort to stay in power'
Capitol police officers sue Trump over Jan. 6 riot
A group of Capitol Police officers are taking former President Donald Trump to court.
Seven Capitol Police officers filed a lawsuit Thursday against Trump, as well as against numerous allies and members of extremist groups, over their actions surrounding the Jan. 6 Capitol riot, The New York Times reports. In addition to Trump, the lawsuit also names Trump associate Roger Stone and members of the Proud Boys and the Oath Keepers, among others.
"This is probably the most comprehensive account of Jan. 6 in terms of civil cases," Edward Caspar, who is leading the lawsuit, told the Times. "It spans from the former president to militants around him to his campaign supporters."
The complaint alleges that in the aftermath of Trump's 2020 election loss, he and the other defendants "conspired with each other and others to prevent Congress from certifying the election results through the use of force, intimidation, and threats," and that the defendants' "efforts culminated in the January 6 mass attack on the United States Capitol and the brutal, physical assault of hundreds of law enforcement officers."
It also alleges that Trump violated the Ku Klux Klan Act, which prohibits using violence or intimidation to disrupt federal officials' duties, an argument that was previously set forth in a lawsuit brought against Trump by a Democratic lawmaker.
Trump "worked with white supremacists, violent extremist groups, and campaign supporters to violate the Ku Klux Klan Act, and commit acts of domestic terrorism in an unlawful effort to stay in power," the new lawsuit alleges, per The Associated Press. The group of Capitol police officers in a statement said that they "joined the Capitol Police to uphold the law and protect the Capitol community" and are bringing this lawsuit because "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."