US lawmaker sues Trump over Jan 6 Capitol riot

WASHINGTON - Democratic House lawmaker Eric Swalwell, one of the nine impeachment managers, filed a lawsuit in US District Court in Washington, D.C. on Friday, accusing former President Donald Trump of inciting the deadly Jan. 6 Capitol riot.

The 65-page civil lawsuit accused the former president, his eldest son Donald Trump Jr., lawyer Rudy Giuliani and House Republican Mo Brooks of conspiring to block President Joe Biden's election victory, inciting the Capitol riot, aiding and abetting common-law assault, committing bias-related crimes, as well as intentionally inflicting emotional distress and negligence.

"The horrific events of January 6 were a direct and foreseeable consequence of the Defendants' unlawful actions," the complaint states. "As such, the Defendants are responsible for the injury and destruction that followed."

It's the second lawsuit from a sitting member of Congress to blame Trump for inciting the riot. House Homeland Security Committee Chairman Bennie Thompson, together with civil rights group the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, filed their own suit against Trump and Giuliani last month, accusing them of conspiring to stop Congress from confirming Biden's win.

The riot interrupted Congress' electoral vote count of Biden's victory on Jan. 6, forcing a joint session of Congress into hiding while leaving five people dead, including a Capitol police officer.

The evenly split Senate last month acquitted Trump over the riot in a five-day speedy impeachment trial.