The lawsuit, filed in Florida on Friday, claims FBI agents and prosecutors were motivated by personal biases when prosecuting their cases.
The lawsuit was filed by Henry “Enrique” Tarrio, Ethan Nordean, Joseph Biggs, Zachary Rehl and Dominic Pezzola.
The lawsuit filed on Friday alleges the five leaders of the Proud Boys were subject to “egregious and systemic abuse of the legal system”.
Approximately 1,583 defendants have been charged with crimes associated with the Capitol riot, according to figures released by the department in January.
Many lawmakers had condemned the riot, while Trump has described it as a “day of love”.
Five leaders of the far-right group the Proud Boys, who were found guilty in connection with the Capitol riot on January 6, 2021, have filed a $100 million (£74 million) lawsuit against the US government, alleging that their rights were infringed upon during the prosecution process.
In order to reverse US President Donald Trump’s defeat in the 2020 election, the five were found guilty of organizing and participating in the riot. Their sentences were commuted or pardoned by Trump earlier this year.
Filed in Florida on Friday, the lawsuit alleges that prosecutors and FBI agents prosecuted their cases with personal biases.
They contend that Trump violated their constitutional rights “to punish and oppress political allies.”.
Dominic Pezzola, Joseph Biggs, Zachary Rehl, Ethan Nordean, and Henry “Enrique” Tarrio filed the lawsuit.
Tarrio was convicted of organizing the 2021 attack on the US Capitol, which took place while lawmakers were confirming the election victory of former US President Joe Biden in 2020. He received the longest prison term of the five, 22 years.
Among other charges, he was officially found guilty of seditious conspiracy, which is a rare charge of plotting to topple the government.
The other four leaders received prison sentences after being charged with similar offenses.
They were granted clemency by Trump, who on the day of his inauguration in January pardoned about 1,500 participants in the Capitol riot.
Following his signing of their pardons, Trump declared, “These people have been destroyed.”. “It’s ridiculous what they’ve done to these people. Seldom has our nation’s history seen anything comparable. “..”.
The five Proud Boys leaders are accused of “egregious and systemic abuse of the legal system” in the lawsuit, which was filed on Friday. It charges that prosecutors have engaged in “witness intimidation” and “evidence tampering.”.
Furthermore, their prosecution was allegedly “corrupt and politically motivated.”.
The US Department of Justice, which is currently led by Attorney General Pam Bondi and functions under the Trump administration, was the target of the lawsuit.
For comment, the BBC has contacted the Justice Department.
The department announced in January that it had charged about 1,583 defendants with crimes related to the Capitol riot.
There were over 600 charges of assault, resistance, or obstruction of law enforcement, with approximately 175 of those charges involving the use of a deadly or dangerous weapon or serious bodily harm.
Using metal batons, wooden planks, flagpoles, fire extinguishers, and pepper spray, rioters attacked Capitol Police officers using these weapons.
Trump has called the riot a “day of love,” but many lawmakers have denounced it.
Democratic lawmakers have criticized him for trying to change history by pardoning those who were convicted.
Among the politicians who had to evacuate during the riot, former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi referred to the pardons as “an outrageous insult to our justice system.”.
