Democratic Rep. Eric Swalwell has filed a lawsuit against former President Donald Trump, claiming he should be held financially responsible for the riot at the U.S.Capitol Building Jan. 6.
The 65-page filing in U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia also names Donald Trump Jr., presidential lawyer Rudy Giuliani, and Republican Rep. Mo Brooks of Alabama. The suit claims speeches they gave at a rally the same day incited people to riot and seeks to hold them responsible for damages and mental anguish that followed.
“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,” Swalwell, of California, said in a statement posted to Twitter.
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
“Unable to accept defeat, Donald Trump waged an all out war on a peaceful transition of power,” Swalwell said. “He lied to his followers again and again claiming the election was stolen from them, filed a mountain of frivolous lawsuits — nearly all of which failed, tried to intimidate election officials, and finally called upon his supporters to descend on Washington D.C. to ‘stop the steal.’”
The suit alleges nine counts against the defendants, including conspiracy to violate civil rights and intent to inflict emotional distress on Congress.
Swalwell is demanding a trial by jury. The suit does not specify an amount.
In a statement to Fox News, Trump spokesman Jason Miller blasted Swalwell and his past relationship with an alleged Chinese spy named Fang Fang (a.k.a. Christine Fang). The congressman was told about her activities in 2015 during a defensive briefing by the FBI, according to Axios.
“Eric Swalwell is a low-life with no credibility who got caught ‘dating’ the Chinese spy Fang-Fang and makes disgusting bodily noises on national television,” Miller noted in a statement. “Now, after failing miserably with two impeachment hoaxes, ‘Mr. Fang-Fang’ is doing the bidding of his Chinese masters and attacking our greatest President with yet another witch hunt.
“It’s a disgrace that a compromised Member of Congress like Swalwell still sits on the House Intelligence Committee,” he added.
Swalwell was one of the House managers who took part in Trump’s second impeachment in January.
Swalwell’s suit is the second filed against Trump as a result of the Jan. 6 riot. In February, Rep. Bennie Thompson (D-Miss.) also filed suit alleging that the former president’s speech led to violence that disrupted Congress during the counting of electoral votes. Lawmakers returned to their chambers to certify the votes for President Joe Biden after the riot.
“His 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 noted in his filing.
But it is Swalwell’s suit that has drawn the most reaction.
“This is getting pathetic, but it’s also wildly entertaining. Donald Trump drives these people insane. It’s pure gold. He’s no longer president, but Trump lives rent-free inside the minds of liberal America. For Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-CA), the war continues,” wrote Matt Vespa, Townhall’s senior editor, early Saturday.
“…[T]his can be summed up in four words: ‘I don’t like Trump.’ Granted, this is not a shocking move by Swalwell, who just celebrated the one-year anniversary of his tweet telling us not to wear masks. Trump lives rent-free in his head because there’s not too much going on in there anyway,” he added.
Others had a similar take online.
You’re such an insufferable attention whore.
— Tara LaRosa (@TaraLaRosa) March 6, 2021
Are you worried any of your colleagues are going to sue you for assaulting the Capitol with a noxious gas from your bowels? 💨
— Mark Dice (@MarkDice) March 6, 2021
Way to tie up the court system with a frivolous and bogus claim. I’m sure you’re funding this with other people’s money. I hope they countersue you personally and youre on the hook for the entire Bill.
— Mark Freeman (@TheMarkFreeman) March 5, 2021
Did Fang Fang tell you to do that? pic.twitter.com/JODOlikFgp
— Otto Huang (@OttoHuang120) March 6, 2021
There should be a law suit against these people for inciting riots pic.twitter.com/F1G36NEWj2
— JK (@Jokerkrypto) March 5, 2021
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Jon@bizpacreview.com
Jon is a staff writer for BizPac Review with 30 years' worth of reporting experience, as well as an author and U.S. Army veteran. He has a BA in political science from Ashford University and an MA in national security studies/intelligence analysis from American Military University.
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