Proud Boys to sue Justice Department over Jan. 6, Enrique Tarrio arrested

• Former Proud Boys leader Enrique Tarrio was arrested at the U.S. Capitol building during a press conference Friday, Feb. 21. The group was announcing a lawsuit against the DOJ related to Jan. 6.
• Tarrio was sentenced to 22 years in prison for seditious conspiracy but was pardoned by President Donald Trump after serving less than three years.
• The group continues to say the 2020 election was stolen and that they were political prisoners.

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The former chairman of the Proud Boys, Enrique Tarrio, was arrested at the Capitol Friday, Feb. 21, after one witness said Tarrio was “swiping his hand” at a counter-protestor who “got in his face.” Tarrio was previously sentenced to 22 years in prison for seditious conspiracy and other charges related to the Jan. 6, 2021 riot at the Capitol. Tarrio served less than three years before he was pardoned by Trump on his first day in office. 

Why was Tarrio arrested?

A Capitol Police spokesperson told The Hill that Tarrio was arrested for simple assault after the individual he allegedly hit said they wanted to press charges. The spokesperson said the individual put their phone in Tarrio’s face and he struck the phone and her arm in response. 

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Why were the Proud Boys in Washington?

Tarrio and other Proud Boys members were hosting a press conference at the Capitol Friday. During the event, the group announced a lawsuit against the Department of Justice.

They made accusations of prosecutorial misconduct, called themselves political prisoners and said they had their lives stolen from them. 

“They accused us, the Proud Boys, of planning a coup, a lie. A lie perpetrated by the Biden regime to destroy our lives, to silence our voices and to break our spirits,” Tarrio said.

They said the lawsuit will be in honor of those who lost their lives at the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. That includes 36-year-old Ashli Babbitt, who was shot and killed by a police officer yards away from the House floor as she climbed through the smashed window of a barricaded door. 

Tarrio also said members of the Biden Administration “will pay” with accountability. 

“Let me be clear. I’m not talking about violent retribution. I’m talking about something much more powerful, accountability and the rule of law,” Tarrio said.

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What’s next for the lawsuit?

pic.twitter.com/MaKXYYuLqL

— Enrique Tarrio (@NobleOne) February 21, 2025

Tarrio said the group will not ask the public for money to fund their lawsuit, but will instead use the success of their cryptocurrency “Proud Coin” to fund the endeavor.