Supporters of Donald Trump outside the U.S. Capitol Building on January 6, 2021 (TapTheForwardAssist/Wikimedia Commons)
On Friday, March 27, several people who were involved in the January 6, 2021 attack on the U.S. Capitol Building filed a civil lawsuit against the U.S. Capitol Police and others in law enforcement. They are seeking millions of dollars in damages, claiming that they suffered "physical and emotional injuries" at the hands of police that day.
MS NOW's Steve Benen examines the lawsuit in a March 31 opinion column, laying out some reasons why the "twisted" lawsuit could be successful.
"This might seem like a twisted joke," Benen argues, "but the civil litigation is quite real: A group of January 6 rioters attacked the U.S. Capitol as part of an insurrectionist assault on American democracy. They faced resistance from law enforcement officers who protected the U.S. seat of government. The rioters, unsatisfied with presidential pardons, now want a taxpayer-financed payoff for their troubles."
Benen adds, "In a normal and healthy political environment, the public could count on a case like this one being thrown out of court. But in 2026, it's likely that the rioters will get a generous payday — because that's what keeps happening."
The "Rachel Maddow Show" producer notes that the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) reached a settlement with the family of Ashli Babbit, a January 6 rioter fatally shot by police that today.
"As part of the agreement," Benen explains, "the Republican administration announced plans to pay roughly $5 million to settle a wrongful death lawsuit filed by Babbitt's relatives. The settlement was awfully tough to defend, especially given the weakness of the civil case, though the developments hinted at a larger issue: Team Trump was on board with the idea of offering generous, taxpayer-funded payments to the president's political allies."
Benen continues, "Last week, it happened again. Former White House National Security Adviser Michael Flynn filed an equally outlandish civil suit, claiming wrongful prosecution in a case in which he had already pleaded guilty (twice) to the underlying charges. Trump's Justice Department agreed to a settlement with him, too, reportedly worth $1.25 million. With these developments in mind, why wouldn't January 6 rioters line up for a slice of the pie?"
