A team of lawyers is preparing to sue the federal government on behalf of hundreds of people pardoned by President Trump for their role in the attack on the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, claiming that the rioters were mistreated by agencies like the Justice Department and the Bureau of Prisons.
The lawyers leading the effort include Mark McCloskey, who rose to prominence five years ago after he pointed an AR-15-style rifle at social justice protesters outside his home in St. Louis, and Peter Ticktin, a former classmate and longtime ally of Mr. Trump.
Even before Mr. Trump granted clemency to all of the nearly 1,600 people prosecuted in connection with Jan. 6, many defendants had been itching to seek damages from the federal government. The president’s sweeping reprieves have only emboldened them in their efforts to claim they are the victims, not the perpetrators, of the attack.
Any attempt to sue the federal government over Jan. 6 could face an uphill climb in court, although in this instance the lawyers could be aided by the government itself.