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Law enforcement have had enough. They've now gotten together at least two major leaders of that group who protected democracy on Jan6 against great personal sacrifice, who were maimed and wounded and some died and then had their honor disrespected and undermined by Donald Trump who pardoned the very people, very criminals who attacked them. They don't have the plaque that they were that Congress approved for January 6, a brass plaque in the halls of Congress commemorating what they did because Mike Johnson won't put it up because of political pressure, because of Donald Trump's union and his joining forces with Jan6 insurrectionists and QAnon theorists and all sorts of conspiracy theorists and then awarding, you know, giving. They had no problem giving Ashley Babbitt's family, a woman who with a backpack and military training tried to get down the end of the speaker's hallway to kill elected officials. What do people think she was going to do when she reached the end of that hallway if she wasn't stopped by one bullet, Hand out daisies. No, that's not what she was going to do. Has anybody seen the video of Ashley Babbitt? She like it like a demented, crazed animal. All right. And so that happens. There's a settlement with Ashley Babbitt's family for millions and millions of taxpayer dollars. Then you got Donald Trump this week disgracing and demeaning the memory and black Americans by ripping the name off of a fort that was honoring the highest ranking black officer, male officer, and the then highest ranking female office black officer in the army during World War II and taking their names off for Greg Adams. No longer now named after, now returned to being Fort Lee. But not that Lee. Because they like to play games. Not Robert E. Lee. It's named after another guy. A private in the Spanish American War. They're just using these, you know, these name switches. And they've had it and they filed their lawsuit. It is time to put a plaque up for. For the people that protected our democracy from burning to the ground. Harry Dunn and Daniel Hodges are right. And they filed their new suit in. Looks like in Boston. Boston, Massachusetts. Which I like. Actually. It's in. I'm sorry. No, it's been filed. I don't know why I said Boston. Their lawyers are from Boston in the District of Columbia against Thomas Austin as the architect of the Capitol. Who's responsible for for getting that plaque up? It's already been approved. You're here on Midas. Touch it on Legal af. I'm Michael Popak. Let's get to this suit on paragraph two. To honor the officers who defended them. In 2022, Congress passed a law directing the architect of the Capitol to install a memorial listing the names of the officers who defended the building and those inside. Yet after the law was passed, the politics around January six changed. And many politicians who once spoke plainly about the dangers of that began to rewrite history and minimize the terror of the attack. Four years since Congress passed the law and three years since the deadline for its installation has lapsed. The memorial has not been put up. Plaintiff Harry Dunn is a former officer because he retired after this. This bloodbath that was the Capitol attack. He was an officer of the U.S. capitol Police. Hodges of the Metropolitan Police Department. Both men defended the Capitol on January 6 and and risk their lives to do so. They bring this suit to compel Congress to follow its own law and install the mandated memorial to honor the women and men who saved the lives of those inside the building and to ensure that the history of this attack on the Capitol and on democracy is not forgotten. They go through the entire statement of facts about the attack on the Capitol, including the role of Mike Pence and the attempted hanging of Mike Pence and their role in protecting democracy. With an outmatched and outnumbered and poorly out weaponed. They didn't even have the right weapons. The weather, it's heating up. And your nighttime bedroom temperature has a huge impact on your sleep quality. If you wake up too hot or too cold, I highly recommend you check out Miracle Maid's bed sheets. Miracle made sheets are inspired by NASA and use silver infused fabrics that are temperature regulating so you can sleep at the perfect temperature all night long. Using silver infused fabrics Inspired by NASA, Miracle Made sheets are thermoregulating and designed to keep you at the perfect temperature all night long no matter the weather, so you get better sleep every night. 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Thank you Miracle Maid for sponsoring this episode. Congress then decides in 2022, the 117th Congress passed a law. Here's the law. It is the sense of Congress that the United States owes its deepest gratitude to those officers of the United States Capitol Police and the Metropolitan Police Department of the District of Columbia, as well as officers from other federal, state and local law enforcement agencies and protective entities who valiantly protected the United States Capitol, members of Congress and staff. On January 6, 2021, the law directed that within one year after the enactment of the act, the architect of the Capitol obtained a plaque listing the names of all officers who responded to the violence that occurred at the United states Capitol on January 6, 2021. Then they go into the history of the Jan.6 is rewritten, the pardons and the like. And now they're seeking. They're saying it's a violation of the equal protection clause because they've been arbitrarily discriminated against, as have all similarly situated officers. And they're being denied equal protection of the law, the law being the law that authorized and mandated that plaque go up. And they're also seeking a mandamus. A mandamus is an order from a judge that directs and compels a federal or state officer to do something within their official capacity. So they want a mandamus that requires that the architect of the Capitol install that monument. I'm sure the Department of Justice is going to try to step in, try to take out the architect, try to argue that there's no jurisdiction over him, there's no liability. You can't grant a mandamus all to sully, continue to sully the name of the fallen. But I want this to be the fight. I'm so glad that Dunn and Hodges did this because America needs to see what its president is all about. How he dishonors the memories of those that protected our democracy and our rule of law. He did it with the pardons. He's doing it again with not putting up this statute and this plaque. And the people that were being protected are members of Congress who voted for the plaque. And they know better. Let's see what happens with their answer and we find out more about which judge is gonna be assigned to this case. And I'll cover that all as I always do right here on on the Midas Touch Network and on Legal af. I'm Michael Popak. I do this kind of reporting about every hour on Midas Touch and I do it several times a day over on our companion channel, Legal afmtn. Come on over there. Help us continue to grow that pro democracy channel. And I got a brand new podcast Every Tuesdays at 8pm here on the Midas Touch network. We call it the intersection where I sit at the intersection of law and politics. No holds barred in it's me unvarnished, untethered, unplugged. All here with the type of analysis I think you've come to expect from me on the Midas Touch network. So until my next report, I'm Michael Popak. Can't get your fill of Legal af. Me neither. That's why we formed the Legal AF substack. Every time we mention something in a hot take, whether it's a court filing or a oral argument, come over to the substack. You'll find the court filing and the oral argument there. Including a daily roundup that I do called wait for it Morning af. What else? All the other contributors from Legal a for there as well. We got some new reporting, we got interviews, we got ad free versions of the podcast and hot takes where Legal AF on substack. Come over now to free subscribe.
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Legal AF by MeidasTouch: Episode Summary
Title: J6 Officers Fire Back at Trump with New Lawsuit
Release Date: June 18, 2025
Hosts: Ben Meiselas, Michael Popok, Karen Friedman Agnifilo
Executive Producer: Meidas Media Network
In the June 18, 2025 episode of Legal AF by MeidasTouch, host Michael Popak delves into a significant legal development involving former law enforcement officers who defended the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021. The episode centers around a newly filed lawsuit against Donald Trump, aiming to compel Congress to install a memorial plaque honoring these officers.
In 2022, during the 117th Congress, a law was passed expressing Congress's gratitude to the officers who valiantly protected the Capitol and its occupants during the January 6 attack. This law mandated the installation of a plaque listing the names of all responding officers within one year. However, three years later, the memorial remains uninstalled, prompting former officers Harry Dunn and Daniel Hodges to take legal action.
Key Points:
Harry Dunn, a retired officer of the U.S. Capitol Police, and Daniel Hodges from the Metropolitan Police Department, initiated the lawsuit to enforce the congressional mandate.
Legal Claims:
Significant Quotes:
Michael Popak emphasizes the importance of the lawsuit:
“It is time to put a plaque up for the people that protected our democracy from burning to the ground.”
(Timestamp: 04:25)
Popak highlights the political interference:
“Donald Trump is doing it again with not putting up this statute and this plaque.”
(Timestamp: 07:45)
The episode discusses the broader political landscape that has impacted the memorial's installation:
Notable Commentary:
Popak remarks on the erasure and rewriting of history:
“They are just using these name switches. And they've had it and they filed their lawsuit.”
(Timestamp: 09:10)
On the portrayal of Ashley Babbitt, Popak expresses skepticism about the official narrative:
“No, that's not what she was going to do. Has anybody seen the video of Ashley Babbitt? She was like a demented, crazed animal.”
(Timestamp: 03:50)
The lawsuit holds significant implications for accountability and historical accuracy:
Host Insights:
Popak underscores the necessity of the legal battle:
“I'm so glad that Dunn and Hodges did this because America needs to see what its president is all about.”
(Timestamp: 08:30)
He anticipates the Department of Justice's potential resistance:
“I'm sure the Department of Justice is going to try to step in, try to argue that there's no jurisdiction over him.”
(Timestamp: 06:50)
The episode of Legal AF provides a comprehensive analysis of the ongoing legal fight by former officers to honor their service during the January 6 insurrection. Michael Popak highlights the intersection of law and politics, emphasizing the importance of upholding congressional mandates and preserving the integrity of democratic processes. The outcome of this lawsuit could play a pivotal role in how political pressures are navigated in the realm of legal obligations and historical remembrance.
For listeners interested in more detailed legal documents and daily updates related to this case, the hosts encourage visiting their Legal AF Substack, which offers court filings, oral arguments, and additional reporting.
Note: Advertisements and non-content segments from the transcript have been excluded to focus solely on the episode's substantive discussions.