Trump Once Said He Would Pay Legal Fees for People Who Beat Up Protesters. Now That It’s Happened, Can He?
Jim Sutton, an election law attorney in California who’s been practicing for 25 years, described the scenario as “the outer bounds of campaign law” — but not necessarily something for which there isn’t guidance.
Sutton notes that there’s precedent for a campaign being liable for an injury suffered by a protester at a campaign event. At an inauguration event for former California governor Pete Wilson (R), a protester sued after being injured by event attendees. The cost of those injuries ended up in the lap of the campaign committee — the legal entity that holds a campaign’s money — and its insurer.
What’s more, Sutton expects Rakeem Jones, the victim of the attack, to sue. “Look, they’re not going to just sue the person who hit them,” Sutton said. “They’re obviously going to sue the Trump campaign.