Former President Donald Trump can be prosecuted for his role in the attack on Capitol Hill by a group of his supporters, a judge decided Friday, ruling that the Republican does not enjoy presidential immunity in this case.
Trump is the target of several lawsuits by elected officials and police accusing him of being directly responsible for the violence perpetrated by his supporters when they stormed the Capitol on January 6, 2021.
A judge in the city of Washington ruled that these complaints were admissible, considering that Trump’s actions that day were “unofficial acts” that “entirely concern his efforts to remain in office for a second term”, which, according to the judge, does not fall within the scope of presidential immunity.
“Denying presidential immunity from civil damages is no small feat,” Justice Amit Mehta wrote in his 112-page recommendation. “The court understands very well the seriousness of its decision.”
The judge also said Trump’s speech to thousands of his supporters gathered in Washington before the assault could “reasonably” be perceived as “a call for collective action.”
The role of the former president is also being examined by a Select Committee of the House of Representatives, which has in its possession hundreds of pages with records, text messages and testimonies that Trump tried to hide, according to the head of the investigation.
The Republican billionaire has criticized the investigation as a “witch hunt”.
