Several FBI officials have been dismissed by a federal judge from a lawsuit former President Donald brought against them and others.
The lawsuit, which alleges the FBI officials had conspired to harm his 2016 presidential campaign by investigating accusations he colluded with Russia, named former FBI Director James Comey, former Deputy Director Andrew McCabe, former counterintelligence official Peter Strzok and former FBI lawyers Lisa Page and Kevin Clinesmith.
Yet, U.S. District Judge Donald Middlebrook ruled that the United States could be a substitution for the five officials.
Their removal comes after the Department of Justice — successfully — argued that the actions the five FBI officials took were only in fulfillment of their official duties.
The Judge has agreed with the DOJ’s argument, citing the Federal Employees Liability Reform and Tort Compensation Act of 1988 in his ruling.
The Act protects federal employees from civil liability stemming from actions they took in their official capacity.
The five FBI officials were named alongside Trump’s 2016 opponent Hillary Clinton, White House National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan, the Democratic National Committee, and a dozen other officials in the former President’s March lawsuit.
In his suit, Trump claims the list of individuals “maliciously conspired to weave a false narrative” that he colluded with a “hostile foreign sovereignty.”
Before the five FBI officials had been removed from the list of individuals and organizations targeted by the lawsuit, the suit named a total of 28 defendants.
The ruling contends that if Trump wants to pursue action against the individual FBI officials, he will have to prove this.
