A federal court in Washington DC ruled Monday that Donald Trump is not protected by presidential immunity from a lawsuit over his efforts to undermine the results of the 2020 election.
Federal Judge Emmett Sullivan rejected the president’s defense arguments, affirming that former presidents are “absolutely immune” from damages for actions tangential to their “official responsibilities.”
“It is widely recognized that political activity necessarily falls outside the official duties of a president,” the judge wrote in the court document.
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The lawsuit, filed in November 2020 by civil rights organizations, accuses Trump and the Republican National Committee of conspiring to intimidate election officials to ensure that the former president remains in power “despite losing the election”.
The plaintiffs, who represent voters in several states including Michigan, Pennsylvania and Georgia that were crucial in previous presidential elections, allege they are suing Trump for actions he took not as president but as an carried out as a candidate.
The District of Columbia case is part of dozens of lawsuits filed against the former Republican president, who has already announced his intention to run for office in 2024 across the country.
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On November 18, the Attorney General of the United States appointed a special prosecutor to investigate Trump for his possible involvement in the attack on the Capitol and classified documents found at his Florida residence.
This is the second time Trump has faced such an investigation, as in 2017, former FBI director Robert Mueller was appointed special prosecutor to probe Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election.
