Within the current previous, there was purpose to imagine Donald Trump would possibly face legal accountability for Jan. 6 and his actions after his 2020 defeat. These hopes have been dashed, nevertheless, by the outcomes of the 2024 election and the demise of former particular counsel Jack Smith’s case towards the president.

There may be, nevertheless, one other potential avenue for accountability — a collection of civil lawsuits filed towards Trump — although as The New York Occasions reported, the Justice Division seems to be taking steps to derail this selection, too.

The Occasions’ report, which has not been independently verified by MSNBC or NBC Information, added that the authorized maneuver seemed to be the newest effort to make use of the powers of the Justice Division to Trump’s benefit “by successfully having himself faraway from the lawsuits.”

For many who would possibly profit from a refresher, within the aftermath of the insurrectionist violence, amongst those that filed lawsuits towards Trump have been law enforcement officials injured in the course of the insurrectionist violence. In actual fact, a number of circumstances have been filed:

• In March 2021, two Capitol Law enforcement officials, James Blassingame and Sidney Hemby, sued Trump, claiming he was responsible for the accidents they suffered in the course of the riot.
• In August 2021, seven extra law enforcement officials who have been attacked and crushed in the course of the Capitol riot sued the previous president.
• In January 2022, three extra law enforcement officials — together with two who aided the evacuation of lawmakers — sued Trump, looking for damages for his or her bodily and emotional accidents.
• In January 2023, the longtime accomplice of Capitol Police Officer Brian Sicknick, who died after the Jan. 6 riot, filed a wrongful dying civil swimsuit towards Trump.

These civil circumstances have since been consolidated and are pending earlier than U.S. District Courtroom Choose Amit P. Mehta.

To make certain, even when Trump have been to lose the civil fits, there could be no legal penalties, however they might show to be politically embarrassing and financially pricey. Certainly, let’s not neglect that he has suffered a number of main authorized setbacks and defeats in recent times — the E. Jean Carroll case, the Trump Group’s fraud case, the demise of his fraudulent charity, the demise of his fraudulent “college,” et al. — and people have been all civil circumstances.

What’s extra, whereas the Justice Division has a coverage prohibiting federal legal expenses towards a sitting president, the Supreme Courtroom has already dominated that sitting presidents can face civil fits whereas in workplace, and claims from Trump’s attorneys that he’s immune in these circumstances have already been rejected by two courts.

It’s towards this backdrop that the Justice Division determined to intervene. The Occasions’ report added, “The division has argued that underneath the legislation federal officers performing throughout the scope of their workplace or employment can’t be sued personally, and that in such cases the federal government is the one entity that may be focused.”

It’s an argument rooted in the concept those that declare to have been harmed by the president’s actions on Jan. 6 ought to have the ability to sue the federal authorities, however shouldn’t have the ability to sue the Republican instantly.

Will this work? Watch this house.

This put up updates our associated earlier protection.

Steve Benen

Steve Benen is a producer for “The Rachel Maddow Present,” the editor of MaddowBlog and an MSNBC political contributor. He is additionally the bestselling writer of “Ministry of Reality: Democracy, Actuality, and the Republicans’ Conflict on the Latest Previous.”