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Former President Donald Trump is claiming “absolute immunity” from all civil lawsuits related to the Jan. 6 Capitol riots.
Trump’s preliminary statement to the court has been released, in which the former president’s legal team completely rules out the possibility of civil suits against Trump, invoking presidential immunity.
“This appeal requires the resolution of a simple but important constitutional separation of powers question: whether the scope of absolute presidential immunity continues to reach the outer perimeters of presidential responsibilities or whether immunity can be undermined if presidential action in question is unpopular with the judiciary,” the statement said.
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Former President Donald Trump looks on from the driving range during the pro-am before the LIV Golf Invitational at Trump National Golf Club in Bedminster, NJ on Thursday, July 28, 2022. (Charles Laberge/LIV Golf via Getty Images)
Trump’s legal team continued: “This question has already been answered by the Supreme Court, which has held that immunity is rooted in the constitutional separation of powers, and is especially important to the president because he deals with matters that they are controversial and arouse intense feelings.”
The Department of Justice It is reportedly looking into Trump’s actions and correspondence in its investigation into alleged efforts by his inner circle to overturn the 2020 election.
In his preliminary statement, Trump claimed that a judicial review of the “executive function” would set a bad precedent for the future, allowing the three branches of government to interfere and interfere with each other for ideological reasons.
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Supporters of President Donald Trump protest inside the US Capitol in Washington, DC on January 6, 2021. (Brent Stirton/Getty Images)
“In an increasingly polarized political environment, it is critical that the judiciary draw bright lines that it will not cross when it comes to regulatory overreach of the executive function,” Trump’s statement said. “The underlying factual dispute surrounding the January 6, 2021 violence at the Capitol stirs the passions of many Americans, including members of the bench and bar.”
The statement continues: “Accordingly, it is especially important to prevent the Justice Department from passing judgment on the political statements and speech of the President of the United States.”
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The Washington Post reported Tuesday that the DOJ, before a grand jury, has asked witnesses about meetings Trump had in December 2020 and January 2021, as well as his lobbying campaign on the former Vice President Mike Pence to nullify the 2020 elections.
Former Pence aide Marc Short confirmed this Fox News “Special Report” host Bret Baier who had recently been interviewed by a grand jury in Washington but did not specify the details of the questioning.
Attorney General Merrick Garland speaks at a news conference in Washington, DC on June 13, 2022. (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)
Asked whether indicting a former president would create more division in the country, Garland said the US Department of Justice will seek justice “without fear or favor.”
“We intend to hold accountable everyone, anyone who was criminally responsible for the events surrounding January 6, for any attempt to interfere with the legal transfer of power from one administration to another,” he said. to say. “This is what we do.”
Fox News’ Bradford Betz contributed to this report.
Timothy Nerozzi is a writer for Fox News Digital. You can follow him on Twitter @timothynerozzi and email him at timothy.nerozzi@fox.com