Fired cybersecurity official Christopher Krebs is suing the Trump lawyer who said he should be shot

Fired cybersecurity official Christopher Krebs is suing President's Trump lawyer who said he should be shot — and he has a message for Republicans facing similar abuse.

As the head of the Department of Homeland Security's Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, Krebs had been debunking claims of voter fraud in the 2020 election, leading Trump to fire him last month. Krebs continued speaking out, prompting Trump's campaign lawyer Joe diGenova to tell the right-wing TV network Newsmax that Krebs should be "taken out at dawn and shot." On Tuesday, Krebs sued diGenova, the Trump campaign, and Newsmax for defamation and emotional distress, claiming they've been working together to harm Krebs.

In his lawsuit, Krebs seeks monetary damages and for Newsmax to take the video down. The lawsuit then says Trump, his lawyers, and NewsMax have organized "a calculated and pernicious conspiracy" aimed at defaming Krebs and other Republicans who stand up to Trump's false claims. "Newsmax disseminates and amplifies the campaign's and DiGenova's attacks on perceived political threats and allegations of election stealing," leading to "endorsements" from Trump and, in return, boosted ratings and more money for Newsmax, the lawsuit says.

Subscribe to The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up

Krebs told The New York Times that his lawsuit is a message to fellow Republicans, telling them not to be "intimidated into silence." "We need to make it clear that these behaviors are not acceptable in a civil society," he added.