By Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law
Photos: Wikimedia Commons
WASHINGTON, D.C. – On December 19, the D.C. District Court heard arguments in Lee, et al. v. Trump, et al., which has consolidated remaining January 6-related cases against President Trump. The Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law represents a group of U.S. Capitol Police Officers who were targeted in the January 6 attack in Smith v. Trump.
Following the hearing, President and Executive Director of the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law, Damon T. Hewitt, issued this statement:
“This case marks one of the last opportunities we have to hold President Trump accountable for his role in inciting the January 6 insurrection. We are quickly approaching the fifth anniversary of that devastating day, yet we have not seen any accountability for the president, the Proud Boys, and others who we allege were primarily responsible for the attack on our Capitol. Instead, we’ve seen more than 1,500 pardons, politicians repositioning themselves to be apologists for the insurrectionists, and even the glorification of those involved.
“Throughout our six-decade history, the Lawyers’ Committee has not relented in fiercely defending our democracy. That has been especially true in the past five years since the January 6 insurrection. We continue to stand up for our clients— brave Capitol police officers who defended democracy that day and who continue to carry the physical and psychological scars that came with it, all while they continue to await real justice.
“We are hopeful that the court will deliver that justice, not only for our clients, but also for the country at large, which witnessed a brazen and violent attempt to overturn a free and fair election that had the highest voter turnout of the 21st century. We are hopeful that this decision affirms what our nation has long held true–that no one, no matter how powerful, is above the law. We will not allow this stain on our history and this attack on our democracy to be rewritten or normalized.”
Ed Caspar, acting co-chief counsel at the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law, issued this statement:
“We honor the sacrifice of our clients, U.S. Capitol Police Officers who stood on the frontlines in defense of Congress and our democracy on January 6. While the attack did not succeed in overturning the legitimate results of the 2020 election, the fact remains that those responsible for the violence have not yet been held accountable to those they harmed. Instead of answering for his role in the January 6 attack, the president continues his effort to evade accountability, hiding behind claims of immunity. We believe the evidence shows that he cannot be immune, and we will continue our work in this case to hold him accountable.”
