Former Auburn resident Proud Boy Ethan Nordean sues FBI and DOJ over Jan. 6 prosecution

Ethan Nordean, a self-described member of the Proud Boys, has filed a federal lawsuit against the U. S. government, claiming his prosecution for the January 6 Capitol riot was a politically motivated abuse of power. The lawsuit, filed in the Middle District of Florida, includes fellow Proud Boys members Enrique Tarrio, Joseph Biggs, Dominic Pezzola, and Zachary Rehl as plaintiffs. All individuals were convicted of crimes related to the Capitol attack and had their sentences commuted or pardoned by President Trump in January 2025.

Nordean alleges he was arrested without probable cause in February 2021 and faced cruel treatment, including being held in solitary confinement for over a year. The lawsuit accuses FBI agents, including Special Agent Nicole Miller, of evidence tampering and violating attorney-client privilege. It also challenges a “tool theory” legal framework that held the plaintiffs accountable for the actions of others at the Capitol. Nordean's suit seeks $100 million in punitive damages for violations of the Fourth, Fifth, and Sixth Amendments, alongside claims of malicious prosecution and false imprisonment. As of the article's publication, the Department of Justice had not yet responded.