Trump is legally liable for MAGA riots -- and his actions are a 'spectacular example of incitement': legal expertsFour experts on first amendment law say that former President Donald Trump is legally liable for the January 6th riots at the United States Capitol building, as they say he directly incited violence against lawmakers.
Law and Crime reports that top legal scholars Floyd Abrams, Erwin Chemerinsky, Laurence Tribe, and Martha Minow this week filed an amicus brief on behalf of a lawsuit against Trump filed by Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-CA) over the twice-impeached former president's role in inciting the deadly riots.
To put a fine point on it, the scholars call Trump's rhetoric before the riots "the most spectacular example of incitement and 'true threat' in American history," and they say he is legally liable for the destruction his supporters caused.
The scholars also brush aside Trump allies' claims that his rhetoric ahead of the riot -- in which he told his fans to "fight like hell" and march to the Capitol -- are simply political speech.
Additionally, the scholars say that Trump violated the Ku Klux Klan Act and other statutes by mounting what amounts to a political intimidation campaign against members of Congress to stop them from certifying the results of the 2020 presidential election.
Read the whole filing at this link.https://lawandcrime.com/u-s-capitol-siege/the-most-spectacular-example-of-incitement-first-amendment-icons-back-eric-swalwell-in-lawsuit-against-donald-trump-for-jan-6th-siege/FBI busts Capitol rioter who impersonated member of the pressMatthew Thomas Purse milled among the mob on January 6 at the U.S. Capitol wearing a black tactical vest and helmet both bearing the letters, "PRESS," the FBI reports. He was arrested Friday.
Purse, of Irvine, CA, was seen in photos and videos "entering through the Columbus Door on the eastern side of the building, carrying a long black pole, with what appears to be a recording device at the end of the pole," the criminal complaint states.
The FBI said it was able to identify Purse from photos and videos showing him "wearing a black tactical vest with the words "PRESS" on his chest and back, and a black helmet with the words "PRESS" on either side.
"FBI received information from a confidential source ("CS"), who saw Purse on a livestream on Twitch, a livestreaming platform, believed to be taken on January 6, 2021. During the livestream, Purse, wearing the helmet, 'seems to admit he is not with press.' The CS further described Purse stating to the camera, 'Mission accomplished, we broke into the Capitol.' The video has been since deleted."
It doesn't appear that Purse was the most enterprising fake newsman. Here's how the FBI reported on his time in the building:
"Purse appeared to be standing off to the side, observing the crowd's interactions with the law enforcement officers. At approximately 3:03 pm, as the crowd became more volatile, as depicted below in the red box, Purse crossed the room and exited the Rotunda".
The FBI noted it "does not believe that Purse is a member of the press media or associated with having press credentials related to the U.S. Capitol. (It confirmed that) Purse did not receive any credentials from the Capitol.
"Moreover, (an FBI agent) could not find any employment history for Purse for the last six years while Purse has resided in California, or any employment history ever related to any news media organization."
Purse faces disorderly conduct and unlawful-entry charges. You can read the full FBI criminal complaint here.
https://www.rawstory.com/matthew-thomas-purse/