DC attorney general sues Proud Boys and Oath Keepers over January 6 insurrection

• DC AG Karl Rancine is suing the Proud Boys and Oath Keepers over January 6.
• Rancine alleges that the far-right groups conspired to "terrorize the District."

Karl A. Racine, the attorney general of Washington, DC, announced on Tuesday that he's suing two far-right groups, the Proud Boys and Oath Keepers, over the January 6 insurrection at the US Capitol.

Rancine alleged that the groups were responsible for violence and "extensive damage" to the nation's capital on January 6, accusing them of "conspiring to terrorize the District."

The lawsuit is also aimed at over two dozen people associated with the groups.

"I'm suing the Proud Boys and the Oath Keepers, the first civil lawsuit by a government entity against the Jan. 6 insurrectionists. They caused extensive damage to the District, our democracy and particularly the brave men and women of our Metropolitan Police Department," Rancine said in a tweet.

"Today, we're holding these insurrectionists accountable for conspiring to terrorize the District by planning, promoting, and participating in the deadly attack on the Capitol," Rancine added. "I'm seeking damages in this case and will keep working to ensure such an assault never happens again."

The lawsuit referred to the attack on the US Capitol as a "coordinated act of domestic terrorism" that was "motivated by a desire to overturn the legal results of the election and initiate a second term of Donald Trump's presidency."

Rancine is seeking financial penalties against the far-right groups via the Ku Klux Klan Act of 1871, which he said is
"designed to protect our country against violent conspiracies."

The deadly January 6 riot remains a major focus in Washington as Republicans continue to whitewash the events of that day, which were largely prompted by lies pushed by Trump about the 2020 election.

The House Select Committee investigating the insurrection on Monday released text messages sent to then-White House chief of staff Mark Meadows on the day of the attack that undermined GOP efforts to downplay the insurrection. The newly unveiled text messages show high-profile conservatives imploring Meadows to urge Trump to call off the rioters and strongly rebuke those involved. In one such message, Donald Trump Jr. said: "He's got to condemn this shit ASAP."

As the insurrection unfolded, Trump refused to speak out and help end the chaos. Later in the day, Trump released a video calling for his supporters to go home, in which he referred to them as "very special" as he reiterated the false claim that the election was "stolen." Trump was impeached for a second time over the insurrection, but was ultimately acquitted in the Senate.