DOJ Refuses To Back Insurrectionist Rep In Riot Lawsuit

ABC News reports:

The Justice Department declined a request from Rep. Mo Brooks, R-Ala., Tuesday night to intervene for him in a lawsuit brought by a Democratic lawmaker suing him for his role in allegedly inciting the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol.

In a new filing, the DOJ said it has determined it does not believe Brooks was acting within the scope of the duties of his office when he spoke in front of a pro-Trump rally just before rioters stormed the building, telling the crowd, “today is the day American patriots start taking down names and kicking a**.”

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The Justice Department has rejected a request from Rep. Mo Brooks to protect him from a civil lawsuit against him and former President Trump concerning the Jan. 6 insurrection. https://t.co/oZrI1V8sxd

— Kaitlan Collins (@kaitlancollins) July 28, 2021

Rep. Brooks sought to invoke the Westfall Act, which provides that federal officials cannot be sued for what they do in their official capacity. But the Dept. of Justice said that there was nothing official about the rally because it was a campaign event. https://t.co/rHcXruQZpj

— NBC News (@NBCNews) July 28, 2021