The lawsuit, filed by Democratic Congressman from Mississippi. Bennie Thompson in his personal capacity is the first civil action brought against the former president related to the attack on the United States Capitol and occurs days after the Senate absolved Trump in his impeachment trial.
If it continues, it would mean that the former president and others would be subject to discoveries and depositions, potentially exposing details and evidence that were not released during the Senate impeachment trial.
Thompson points to Trump’s words and tweets in the months leading up to the insurrection to accuse Trump and Giuliani of mobilizing and preparing their supporters for an attack to prevent Congress from certifying the results of the 2020 elections on January 6.
The suit cites a little-used federal law passed after the Civil War that aimed to combat the violence of the Ku Klux Klan; allows civil actions to be brought against people who use “force, intimidation or threat” to prevent someone from fulfilling the duties of their position.
This story is emerging and will be updated.