Judge dismisses Trump's 'immunity' claim in Jan. 6 lawsuits

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Afederal judge on Tuesday denied former President Donald Trump's bid to dismiss three lawsuits brought against him by police officers injured in the Jan. 6 riot, rejecting his assertion that he's "absolutely immune" from the claims. The lawsuits, brought on behalf of four police officers, seek to hold Trump liable for emotional and physical injuries they sustained when a pro-Trump mob stormed the Capitol and disrupted the electoral vote count. “In nearly identically worded motions, President Trump has moved to dismiss all three actions on one ground: he is absolutely immune from suit because the acts complained of fall within the 'outer perimeter' of his presidential responsibilities,” Judge Amit Mehta wrote in his brief ruling. The judge noted he'd rejected similar arguments by Trump in other Jan. 6 lawsuits earlier this year. "The court does so again," Mehta wrote. That earlier ruling held that Trump’s alleged actions in provoking the riot “entirely concern[ed] his efforts to remain in office for a second term” and did "not fall within the 'outer perimeter' of a president’s official responsibilities," a finding Mehta reiterated Tuesday. The former president's lawyers contended that by questioning the results of the election during the weeks before Jan. 6 and on the day itself, Trump was exercising a president’s ability to use the bully pulpit and was “engaged in an open discussion and debate about the integrity of the 2020 election.” Mehta had found that Trump’s actions “do not relate to his duties of faithfully executing the laws, conducting foreign affairs, commanding the armed forces, or managing the Executive Branch. They entirely concern his efforts to remain in office for a second term. These are unofficial acts.” tRUMP is so screwed!