Georgia voters file legal challenge on Greene’s candidacy over Capitol riot

A group of Georgia voters filed a legal challenge against Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene’s (R-Ga.) candidacy for reelection, alleging she “voluntarily aided and engaged in an insurrection to obstruct the peaceful transfer of presidential power.”

The complaint — which was filed by Free Speech For People, Emery Celli Brinckerhoff Abady Ward & Maazel LLP and civil rights lawyer Bryan Sells on behalf of the voters — alleges the Georgia Republican encouraged those who participated in the Capitol riot both before and on Jan. 6, 2021.

Free Speech For People was co-council for 11 North Carolina voters in a similar complaint against Rep. Madison Cawthorn (R-N.C.), which a federal judge blocked earlier this month.

The complaint against Greene pointed to some of her comments about the riot after it took place, including an interview she did in October in which she said on Real America’s Voice that “January 6 was just a riot at the Capitol, and if you think about what our Declaration of Independence says, it says to overthrow tyrants.”

Court filings also cited a Rolling Stone story from the same month in which two people who helped plan the rallies that preceded the riot told the news outlet that lawmakers who either participated in the planning of the rally or sent staffers included Greene.

Greene’s attendance at a white nationalist conference, where Nick Fuentes called the riot “awesome,” according to CBS News, was also noted in the complaint.

Greene has previously defended her attendance at the event, telling CBS News’s Robert Costa last month, ​​”I don’t know what his views are, so I’m not aligned with anything that may be controversial.”

“I went to his event last night to address his very large following because that is a young, very young, following and a generation I am extremely concerned about,” she added.

Greene slammed the complaint in a statement.

“This is the same evil playbook the dishonest Communist Democrats use against President Trump and his family.  Now they are using it on me, because they know I’m effective and will not bow to the DC machine,” the Georgia Republican said.

“As I’ve said many times before, I’m vehemently opposed to all forms of political violence,” Greene said, adding “I’ve never encouraged political violence and never will.”

The Hill has reached out to Greene’s office for comment.

— Updated at 4:00 p.m.