Rep. Troy Nehls filed a lawsuit for $2.5 million against the federal government and specifically the U.S. Capitol Police. A lawsuit claims that a Capitol police officer illegally entered the Texas Republican’s Washington Office and took photos of notes related to possible legislation. Nehls wasn’t charged with any crime. He said the Capitol Police’s follow-up gave the impression of an attempted intimidation.
Nehls claimed that his criticisms of Capitol Police concerning the protests on Jan. 6 were the reason he was targeted by the Department.
Nehls stated in his suit that he thought this was the case: “Congressman Nehls (a Republican) was one of the five Congressmen chosen by the then Republican Leader Kevin McCarthy to sit on a House Committee looking into the events of January 6th. He was vocal in his criticism of the Capitol Police’s leadership and the failures they had made concerning the events of January 6. He criticized the Capitol Police officer who shot Ashli Babbitt for being “legally indefensible” and called for an investigation by a grand jury.
Politico reported Capitol Police had denied the accusations when Nehls first raised his concerns about the incident. Inspector generals found that Nehls’s complaint was invalid.
In a press release, the Texas Republican stated, “This goes beyond an unethical entrance into my office by Capitol Police. This is a violation of the right of members to speak and debate as well as a violation under the 4th Amendment.”
The case is currently pending in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas.