In a double whammy for Donald Trump, two federal courts ruled Friday that the former president can be sued for the attack by his followers on the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, and face criminal consequences for his attempts to overturn the 2020 presidential election results.
According to The Washington Post, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit’s decision that opened the door for those seeking to sue the former president for inciting the attack that resulted in more than 100 people being injured and five deaths was unanimous.
Trump argued that he was protected by presidential immunity after two U.S. Capitol police officers and several Democratic lawmakers sued him following the attack. They claimed Trump instigated the violent attack by telling a mob of his supporters that the election was stolen and encouraging them to “fight like hell” after marching to the Capitol.
A three-judge panel ruled on Dec. 1 that Trump campaigning to be re-elected is not an “official presidential act.”
“The sole issue before us is whether President Trump has demonstrated an entitlement to official-act immunity for his actions leading up to and on January 6 as alleged in the complaints. We answer no, at least at this stage of the proceedings,” wrote the panel.
“When a first-term President opts to seek a second term, his campaign to win re-election is not an official presidential act,” read the ruling. “The Office of the Presidency as an institution is agnostic about who will occupy it next.”
Trump — who was indicted on charges of election fraud and conspiracy charges in Georgia and also has been charged in federal court over his actions on Jan. 6 — is the frontrunner for the Republican Party’s 2024 presidential nomination.
His campaign spokesman, Steven Cheung, released a statement calling the decision by the appeals court “limited, narrow, and procedural.” Cheung also claimed that Trump was…
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