Trump Faces ‘Legal Reckoning’ As Jan 6 Hearings Could Aid Other Lawsuits

Donald Trump could face a “legal reckoning” if evidence highlighted during the January 6 proceedings are used against him in a number of other lawsuits, according to Democratic Rep. Eric Swalwell.

Swalwell, who is suing the former president for allegedly inciting the insurrection while citing a civil rights law enacted to counter the Ku Klux Klan’s intimidation of officials, described how others who have filed suits against Trump may be closely watching the House Committee’s proceedings.

The California congressman said that after just two days of public hearings, Trump looks “guiltier after all of his evidence, not more innocent” and his case and others may be further strengthened.

“We filed our lawsuit right after the impeachment trial of Donald Trump where we had very little evidence because we have no cooperative witnesses,” Swalwell told MSNBC’s Lawrence O’Donnell.

“Now, because of the January 6 commission, because of the Department of Justice’s hundreds of indictments and what we’ve learned from those defendants, and because of lawsuits in New York as well as what’s been investigated in Georgia, Donald Trump right now is going into a season of legal reckoning,” Swalwell added.

“There are storms that are really brewing right now and in strengthening that can hit him both criminally and civilly.”

President Donald Trump speaks at a rally on May 28, 2022 in Casper, Wyoming. The rally was held to support Harriet Hageman, Rep. Liz Cheney’s primary challenger in Wyoming. Rep. Eric Swalwell suggested Trump is facing a “legal reckoning” over lawsuits related to the January 6 attack. Getty Images

Trump is already facing a number of lawsuits in connection with the January 6 attack, including from law enforcement officers who blame the former president for his supporters attacking the Capitol and police that day.

Also appearing alongside Swalwell was MSNBC contributor Ja’han Jones, who recently wrote an opinion piece entitled “Trump may (literally) have to pay for his election lies.”

Jones argued that the former president may also face lawsuits in Georgia, where election workers received death threats for not supporting the former president’s baseless claims of voter fraud.

Trump is already under investigation for alleged criminal solicitation of election fraud for trying to persuade Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger to “find” 11,780 votes to help him win the state.

“We’re still early in the Jan. 6 committee hearings, but one thing seems abundantly clear: Trump needn’t only worry about his exposure to criminal charges. Civil cases stemming from his election defeat could devastate him, as well,” Jones wrote.

In February, District Court Judge Amit Mehta threw out Trump’s claim that he had “absolute immunity” from Swalwell’s lawsuit, adding that it is “plausible” the former president incited the January 6 attack.

O’Donnell suggested to Swalwell that the 76-year-old Trump may have to spend the rest of his life fighting all the legal cases against him which will be brought forward or strengthened in the wake of the January 6 hearings.

In reply, Swalwell agreed, adding that you have to pursue someone like Trump “when he’s on his heels” as that’s when “he’s at his weakest.”

“You have to aggressively pursue justice with Donald Trump and that’s why I call this the season of legal reckoning,” Swalwell said.

Trump has been contacted for comment.