Seven Capitol Police Officers Sue Trump, Supporters Over Jan. 6 Riot

Seven Capitol Police officers filed a lawsuit Thursday alleging that former President Donald Trump, some of his supporters and right-wing extremist group leaders planed to interfere with the transition of power following the 2020 election, which purportedly led to the Jan. 6 riot at the U.S. Capitol. The suit accuses Trump and others, including former adviser Roger Stone and the leaders of the Proud Boys and the Oath Keepers, of violating the Ku Klux Klan Act of 1871. The act includes protections of an individual's constitutional rights, and outlaws conspiracies that disrupt Congress’s constitutional duties. The lawsuit alleges that Trump and his supporters attempted to use false voter fraud claims to overturn election results in regions with large black populations; five of the seven officers on the lawsuit are black. Trump had no immediate comment on the suit but has criticized efforts to investigate his connection to the riot for purportedly violating executive privilege.

The news was covered prominently by left- and center-rated news outlets Thursday; Newsmax (Lean Right bias) was one of the few right-rated outlets to publish original reporting on the news as of Thursday afternoon. Some left-rated outlets described the riot as an "insurrection" in their headlines; Newsmax's headline instead used the term "events." Many sources, regardless of bias, describe the events of Jan. 6 as a violent riot in their coverage.