Five leaders of the far-right Proud Boys group, convicted for their roles in the January 6, 2021, Capitol riot, have filed a $100 million (£74 million) lawsuit against the U.S. government. The lawsuit alleges violations of their constitutional rights during their prosecution.
Convicted of conspiracy and participation in the riot aimed at overturning the 2020 presidential election results, the five men—Henry “Enrique” Tarrio, Ethan Nordean, Joseph Biggs, Zachary Rehl, and Dominic Pezzola—received pardons from President Trump earlier this year.
Filed in Florida, the lawsuit claims FBI agents and prosecutors acted with personal bias, asserting their constitutional rights were violated to “punish and oppress political allies” of President Trump.
Tarrio, who received the longest sentence of 22 years (later pardoned), was found guilty of seditious conspiracy, a rarely used charge involving plotting to overthrow the government. The other four also faced significant prison sentences before their pardons.
Trump, who issued approximately 1,500 pardons related to the Capitol riot, defended his actions, stating the convicted men had been “destroyed” and subjected to “outrageous” treatment.
The lawsuit alleges “egregious and systemic abuse of the legal system,” including “evidence tampering” and “witness intimidation,” characterizing the prosecution as “corrupt and politically motivated.”
The suit names the U.S. Department of Justice as the defendant. The BBC has contacted the Department for comment. Approximately 1,583 individuals have faced charges related to the Capitol riot, with over 600 charged with assaulting or obstructing law enforcement.
The riot, which involved attacks on Capitol Police officers using various weapons, drew widespread condemnation from lawmakers. Trump’s characterization of the event as a “day of love” and his subsequent pardons have been criticized by Democrats as historical revisionism.
Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, forced to evacuate during the riot, called the pardons “an outrageous insult to our justice system.”
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