Donald Trump: Court declares Capitol storming lawsuits admissible

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Donald Trump (archive image): Civil lawsuits admissible

PHOTO: OCTAVIO JONES / REUTERS

Former US President Donald Trump has suffered a defeat in court in connection with the storming of the Capitol.

Civil lawsuits against Trump could go ahead, a federal judge ruled.

Trump's speech on January 6, 2021 could be viewed as a "call for collective action," the decision said.

However, the judge dismissed similar allegations against Trump's son Donald Trump Jr. and attorney Rudy Giuliani.

It was "plausible" that Trump incited his supporters at the time to stop the official confirmation of his election defeat in the US Congress.

Trump's statements to his supporters are "the essence of a civil conspiracy," Judge Amit Mehta wrote -- rejecting Trump's motions to dismiss the lawsuits.

It can be assumed that the ex-president knew that militias were prepared to use force to defend him.

Judge Mehta ruled that Trump does not enjoy presidential immunity in this case.

Lawsuits are admissible because Trump's conduct that day was "unofficial acts" aimed entirely at "remaining in office for a second term."

His words could be read as a "call for collective action."

»Not a small step«

At the same time, Trump criticized his then Vice President Mike Pence on Twitter for not blocking the official confirmation of the election victory of Trump's Democratic challenger Joe Biden.

The judge interpreted this as a "tacit agreement" between the president and those who stormed the Capitol.

"Denying a president immunity for civil damage is no small step," Mehta emphasized in the 112-page justification for his decision.

"The court is well aware of the implications of its decision."

Trump supporters violently stormed the Capitol on January 6, 2021, while Congress was meeting there to certify the outcome of the presidential election.

Trump had recently incited his supporters at a rally that his election victory had been stolen.

Five people were killed, including a police officer.

Giuliani also spoke at the rally.

Trump had to face impeachment.

The Senate majority needed to convict the Republican did not materialize because most of his party friends in the House of Representatives supported Trump.

The top Republican Mitch McConnell, who himself found the ex-president innocent in the proceedings, indirectly called for legal action to be taken against his party colleague.

State legislators and Capitol Police officials then filed the civil suit.

Trump's role in storming the Capitol is also being investigated by a US House of Representatives committee.

Trump dismisses the allegations against him as a "witch hunt".

Trump had already suffered a defeat in court in another case on Thursday.

A New York judge ordered him to testify under oath as part of a financial investigation into his real estate empire.

wit/dpa/AFP