Indiana man charged in Jan. 6 insurrection asks to have civil suit dropped

Indiana resident and member of the Proud Boys, Jon Schaffer, was one of the first to plead guilty to federal charges for the January 6, 2021 insurrection. 

But his lawyer filed a motion this month that the civil suit The District of Columbia has against him, seeking damages for Schaffer’s involvement, be dismissed.

Lawyers for the District of Columbia filed a suit against Schaffer and other Proud Boys and Oath Keepers, on the grounds that they conspired to attack the Capitol.

The district’s civil suit seeks damages from the group for the cost treating law enforcement harmed during the attack, transportation expenses, and other labor expenses the district sent in response.

Others named in the civil suit have already filed motions that the court dismiss charges for their clients, which Schaffer’s representation seeks to join. Schaffer’s motion for dismissal, said arguments in the other motions apply similarly to him.

Some of the motion arguments say that defendants lacked knowledge of a conspiracy to breach the Capitol or stop the election results from being verified, and they weren’t able to prevent the events from unfolding. The motions also argue that the District of Columbia is “not a person” and lacks the legal standing to seek damages for individual officers hurt or harm done during the capitol invasion.

The presiding judge in Schaffer’s case, U.S. District Judge Amit P. Mehta, hasn’t ruled yet on his motion of dismissal.