Democratic congressman sues Trump over role in US Capitol riot

Despite evidence to the contrary, the suit says, the men portrayed the election as stolen while Mr Trump “endorsed rather than discouraged” threats of violence from his angry supporters

Donald Trump (Carolyn Kaster/AP)

A Democratic congressman has accused Donald Trump in a federal lawsuit of inciting the deadly insurrection at the US Capitol and of conspiring with his lawyer and extremist groups to try to prevent Congress from certifying the results of the presidential election.

The lawsuit from Mississippi’s Representative Bennie Thompson, chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee, is part of an expected wave of litigation over the January 6 riot and is believed to be the first filed by a member of Congress.