A three-judge panel on Friday delivered some bad news for Donald Trump, saying that he isn't immune from lawsuits over the Jan. 6 Capitol attack just because he was President at the time. This ruling comes as the twice-impeached former President faces three lawsuits from House lawmakers and Capitol police officers who are accusing him of inciting the attack. Oops!
USA Today reports:
"President Trump moved in the district court to dismiss the claims against him, including on grounds of a President's official-act immunity from damages liability," Chief Judge Sri Srinivasan wrote. "We answer no, at least at this stage of the proceedings."
Srinivasan and Judges George Katsas and Judith Rogers heard the case. Srinivasan was appointed to the appeals court by Barack Obama, Katsas by Trump and Rogers by Bill Clinton.
The three lawsuits each accuse Trump of inciting the riot and seek to hold him responsible for it. Nearly 1,000 people have been charged in the attack after a mob rampaged through the Capitol and temporarily prevented Congress from counting the Electoral College votes that formalized Joe Biden's 2020 victory over Trump. One rioter was shot to death outside the House chamber by a police officer. A police officer who was sprayed by chemicals during the attack died the next day from a stroke.
