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A4 U.S. NEWS
Saturday 9 July 2022
2 Iowa officers sue 2020 protesters, accuse them of assault

By MARGERY A. BECK who later successfully sued
Associated Press the state after the Iowa
Two Iowa police officers State Patrol banned them
are taking the unusual from State Capitol grounds.
move of suing six people The officers’ lawsuit ac-
who participated in a 2020 cuses Penna of pulling on
protest in Des Moines after Wilson’s hands and arms to
the Minneapolis police kill- prevent an arrest, causing
ing of George Floyd, ac- scrapes and bruises to the
cusing them of assault. officer — an accusation
All six people were arrest- Penna denies.
ed during the July 1, 2020, “I did not touch Pete Wil-
protest, and five already son, or any officer, and the
pleaded guilty to misde- video footage and evi-
meanor counts of assault dence shows that,” Penna
on a police officer and/ said Thursday in an email
or interference with offi- to The Associated Press. “I
cial acts. One of them, In- urged and yelled at Pete
dira Sheumaker, was later Wilson to get off a young
elected to the Des Moines Black woman’s head. That
City Council. was it. Someone may have
The lawsuit, first reported by scratched him, but it wasn’t
Axios Des Moines, was filed me. I did not hurt Pete Wil-
by Peter Wilson and Jeffrey Protestors chant “Let them go” as Des Moines police vans arrive at the Polk County Jail after son, not to mention the
George as individuals and protestors were arrested outside the Capitol, in Des Moines, Iowa, on Wednesday, July 1, 2020. comparison to protesters
Associated Press
not as representatives of literally being thrown to the
the Des Moines Police De- inherently dangerous jobs the restored voting rights to others received probation, ground, pepper sprayed,
partment. They are seek- and generally bars emer- felons and turned violent as fines or both. and the like.”
ing an unspecified amount gency responders from su- police led away arrested One person named in the Des Moines attorney Mark
for actual and punitive ing or collecting damages protesters. suit, Brad Penna of Des Hedberg, who represents
damages. It will likely be for injuries that occur in Des Moines protesters have Moines, said he thinks it’s Wilson and George, did
met with skepticism by the the course of their duties. said police escalated ten- intended to “intimidate, not return repeated phone
court, said Robert Bloom, a The rule typically includes sions and were heavy- function as a scare tactic, messages left by the AP
professor at Boston College some exceptions — such as handed in their handling of and to retaliate” against seeking comment.
Law School, who noted gross negligence of a prop- arrests. protesters who fought back Other defendants named
that the claims of assault erty owner or if injury was The suit describes protest- against what they saw as in the lawsuit either could
and battery appear to be caused by willful, wanton ers’ actions as “nothing unjust police aggression. not be reached for com-
applying criminal com- or intentional action. short of domestic terrorism.” Penna was originally ment or did not return mes-
plaints to a civil action. The protest was among No charges related to the charged by police with sages seeking comment.
Experts also note that Iowa demonstrations against protest were found against assault on an officer, but That includes Sheumaker,
is among several states racism and police brutality one of the lawsuit defen- that was dropped when he who pleaded guilty in 2021
that have adopted what’s that erupted worldwide fol- dants in online court re- pleaded guilty to interfer- to a reduced misdemeanor
known as the “fireman’s lowing Floyd’s killing. It be- cords. Only one person ence of officials acts and count of assault on a police
rule,” which holds that fire- gan as a rally at the Iowa was sentenced to jail time paid a $250 fine. Penna officer and was sentenced
fighting and policing are State Capitol to push for — four days — while the was among five protesters to two years’ probation.q

Appeals court: Congress can see some

Trump financial records

newly in charge of the to turn over documents who dropped out of the
House of Representatives between November 2016 case when President Joe
subpoenaed a wealth of and 2018 relating to the Biden nominated her to the
records from Trump’s ac- Trump company that held Supreme Court.
counting firm, Mazars USA. the lease granted by the The committee first issued a
A federal judge in Washing- federal government for the subpoena in 2019, then re-
ton already had ruled that former Trump International newed it in 2021.
lawmakers were entitled to Hotel located between the Lower courts had first ruled
review a more limited set of White House and the Capi- broadly in favor of the com-
records than they initially tol. “We determine here mittee, but the Supreme
wanted. that the Committee has Court in 2020 ordered a
Former President Donald Trump speaks at the Road to Majority
conference June 17, 2022, in Nashville, Tenn. The appellate panel nar- shown the requisite need new analysis.
Associated Press rowed the request even for some, but far from all, of In issuing its ruling Friday,
more. It held that the the presidential information the court raised the point
WASHINGTON (AP) — A The decision from the fed- House Committee on Over- covered by its subpoena,” of Trump’s right to con-
federal appeals court on eral appeals court in Wash- sight and Reform should Judge Sri Srinivasan wrote tinue fighting the subpoe-
Friday narrowed the range ington almost certainly be given records of finan- in an opinion joined by na, noting that the ques-
of documents House Dem- won’t be the last word in cial ties between foreign Judge Judith Rogers. The tion remained of whether
ocrats are entitled to in their the legal fight that began countries and Trump or any third judge who heard ar- Trump maintains execu-
years-long investigation of in 2019, when Trump was of his businesses for 2017- guments in the case is Jus- tive privilege as a former
Donald Trump’s finances. president and Democrats 18. It also ordered Mazars tice Ketanji Brown Jackson, president.q