Five leaders of the Proud Boys, who were convicted for their roles in the events of January 6, 2021, have brought a lawsuit against government and FBI officials, claiming violations of their constitutional rights during the Capitol attack. This suit was filed in federal court in Florida, following a previous statement from President Trump seeking $100 million in damages, asserting that nearly all the defendants involved in that day had been wronged.
The plaintiffs—Enrique Tarrio, Ethan Nordean, Zachary Rehl, Joe Biggs, and Dominic Pezzola—are accused of conspiring to disrupt the certification of the 2020 presidential election, which they believed would allow Trump to stay in power despite his loss.
While Pezzola was acquitted of certain charges, he faced convictions on other serious felonies. Now, the group claims their rights were infringed upon by what they describe as politically motivated prosecutors.
“This is a frightening example of abuse,” the lawsuit states, highlighting what it calls a systemic misuse of the justice system to punish Trump’s political allies.
The lawsuit could potentially compel Trump’s Justice Department to defend the prosecutors involved in handling the January 6 case, initially initiated by former President Biden’s administration, or else face financial repercussions that would impact taxpayers.
Former U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland characterized the investigation into January 6 as one of the most extensive and resource-intensive in the history of the Department of Justice.
The case shines a spotlight on the Proud Boys and the Oath Keepers, another right-wing extremist faction that faced conspiracy charges before the Capitol attack.
Tarrio received a 22-year prison sentence, the longest among those charged in relation to January 6, but this was wiped clean when Trump issued a pardon on January 20.
Trump has also indicated a willingness to pardon additional members of the Proud Boys and the Oath Keepers. Thomas Caldwell, associated with the Oath Keepers, had his sentence commuted before being pardoned.
The lawsuit references Trump’s act of forgiveness as a means to correct what they perceive as a significant injustice against Americans over recent years.
In comments to reporters, Tarrio, alongside Oath Keeper founder Stewart Rhodes, urged Trump to continue granting pardons to the remaining Proud Boys and Oath Keepers. The suit mentions that Biggs, Nordean, Pezzola, and Rehl had applied for pardons as recently as May.
“The president’s statements regarding January 6th were, I think, justified. His decision to pardon us on his first day was the right move,” Tarrio commented on Friday. “There’s still a lot that needs to be done.”
Updated at 3:14 PM
