Police officers file civil lawsuit seeking court order to hang Jan. 6 plaque at U.S. Capitol

cbsnews.com ^ | June 12, 2025 | Scott MacFarlane

[lowbridge]

Two police officers who defended the Capitol during the Jan. 6, 2021 attack filed a federal civil lawsuit, asking a judge to order the hanging of a plaque to honor police heroes who protected the Capitol, lawmakers and staff from rioters. 

The lawsuit cites a 2022 law signed by President Biden that required the honorary plaque be hung by March 2023. The plaque has been completed and in storage since at least last year, but GOP House Speaker Mike Johnson has not committed to installing it at the Capitol.

The dispute over the plaque has angered victims and inflamed a politically divisive issue on Capitol Hill. Republican leaders, who control the administration of the Capitol complex, have not honored requests by some officers and Democratic colleagues to hang the plaque, as required under federal law.    

In their lawsuit, former Capitol Police Officer Harry Dunn and D.C. Metropolitan Police Officer Daniel Hodges argue President Trump has spun conspiracy theories about Jan. 6, that have been adopted by his Republican allies in Congress.  

"After Congress passed the law, the politics of January 6 began to change. Donald Trump began to call the attack on the Capitol a 'day of love,' and said that 'the cops should be charged and the protesters should be freed," the lawsuit said. "As Trump's political fortunes rebounded, elected officials began to parrot his claims about the day."

The lawsuit argues the failure to hang the plaque violates the Equal Protection clause of the Constitution. It also contends the Aarchitect of the Capitol, who helps manage the facilities and grounds of the Capitol, has failed to complete a required duty under the 2022 law.

"There seems to be no indication that congressional leadership is going to install this without judicial intervention," said attorney Brendan Ballou,

[rottweiller_inc]

Seems like they think as time goes on any honorable mention for the Jan 6 police will be hard to find, once a real, motivated investigation is done.

[ROCKLOBSTER]

What attack?

[doc maverick]

“The dispute over the plaque has angered victims”
Translation: The dispute has angered certain democrat congressional members who refused Trump’s request for the National Guard.

[rottweiller_inc]

They seem to honestly believe they can steam roll over any serious look into exactly what happened on Jan 6th.

[mass55th]

Will it include the ones in plain clothes who acted as belligerents that day?

[FlingWingFlyer]

Two cops “defended the Capitol” that day? ROTFL! Seriously? Somebody been hitting da happy smoke.

[tumblindice]

Wonder if these two were the ones videotaped waving protesters into the capitol.

[shanover]

Where are ALL the tapes? Who planted the pipe bombs? How many fibs were in the crowd? Who denied the NG from President Trump’s order? Where are ALL of the J6 committee files? Why hasn’t this Congress asked any questions nor seem curious? Why isn’t there a plaque of murdered American patriot Ashli Babbitt at where she was gunned down by Michael Byrd?

[stylin19a]

a 2022 law signed by President Biden that required the honorary plaque be hung by March 2023

The 2022 law signed by President Biden requiring an honorary plaque to be hung by March 2023 is part of the omnibus spending bill, specifically the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2023 (Public Law 117-328), signed into law on December 29, 2022

wondering why that law is constitutional?

Can a case be made for Article I, Section 5, Clause 2? essentially, the House and Senate can make their own rules.

Article I, Section 5, Clause 2:
Each House may determine the Rules of its Proceedings, punish its Members for disorderly Behaviour, and, with the Concurrence of two thirds, expel a Member.

[gunnut]

Hang it in the ladies room in the basement.

https://youtu.be/iuQQif6noJo?feature=shared

[basalt]

these 2 plus that other crybaby punk are nothing but democrat activists...

[drypowder]

A plaque in honor of? Stick that, they all belong in prison, especially Michael Byrd, he belongs on death row!

[stylin19a]

I finally pinned down GROK...it kept telling me conflicting things. Is it right? who knows...

Ques: If the House could, under Article I, Section 5, Clause 2, adopt rules to prioritize or expedite the plaque’s installation (e.g., by directing the Architect of the Capitol or relevant committees) would the reverse also be true...to not prioritize the installation....you can't have it only one way

Ans: You're correct that if the House can use its authority under Article I, Section 5, Clause 2 of the U.S. Constitution to adopt rules prioritizing or expediting the installation of the January 6th honorary plaque, it could also use that same authority to adopt rules that deprioritize or delay the installation. The clause grants the House broad discretion to "determine the Rules of its Proceedings," which allows it to set its own agenda and priorities, including how it handles administrative directives like the plaque installation mandated by the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2023 (Public Law 117-328). Here's a breakdown:

https://grok.com/chat/5872163b-818a-4c6b-993f-49977c89615f

[sasquatch]

Put a pound of Tannerite in front of it.

[mabarker1]

Attach it to the wall below and behind 1 toilet in Basement Bathroom and then install a New Plaque at the location where Ashli Babbitt was Murdered by the chicken $}{!T cop !!!

Also install a Video Screen next to it that plays a loop of Ashli Babbitt being Murdered 24/7/365 !!!

[CIB-173RDABN]

A judge has no authority over Congress and can not order Congress to do anything - separation of power.

[piasa]

They could hang it in the same bathroom where the murderous incompetent cop left his service gun.

[piasa]

I think they are the two that lied before the J6 committee about their exact whereabouts that day and were caught on video [once the videos the J6 committee was stonewalling] were released.

[piasa]

...”Dunn and Lazarus contradicted each other in their respective Oct. 31, 2022 trial testimonies. Dunn first claimed to have seen Lazarus already at the top of that staircase when he arrived at 2:44 p.m., being “hassled” by protestors.

By contrast, Lazarus testified that he saw Dunn already standing at the top of the staircase landing when he came up from behind him on those stairs. Both men lied in their conflicting stories because Lazarus was in a Senate office building at that moment in time.

It is a physical impossibility for either Dunn or Lazarus to have seen what they claimed in their testimonies in the Oath Keepers trial, and this is borne out by what myself and other @theblaze analysts saw on Capitol CCTV videos from access given to us by @RepLoudermilk....”